Scene Scania 2010

SCANIAscene

ISSUE 1 2010

A newsuperpoweremerges

Scene Scania is themagazine for transportoperators and the Scanianetwork in the UnitedKingdom

No reproduction in whole or partwithout the permission of Scania(Great Britain) Limited. The companycannot accept responsibility forunsolicited manuscripts orphotographs submitted to thispublication. The editorial opinionsexpressed in Scene Scania are notnecessarily those of Scania (GreatBritain) Limited. Scene Scania isprinted on paper that ismanufactured using ECF (ElementalChlorine Free) pulps from sustainableforests, and is fully recyclable.

Commissioning EditorChris Love

Contributing EditorPhil Sampson

Contributorsin this issueTim BlakemoreDavid CameronWill ShiersBrian WeatherleyMark BourdillonBryan WinstanleyPeter SymonsRich VolesTLC Photography

DesignAnthony CohenPantechnicon

Published byBrand and CommunicationDepartment,Scania (Great Britain) Limited,Tongwell,Milton KeynesMK15 8HB

Telephone: 01908 210210Fax: 01908 215040www.scania.co.uk

60 Greenday’s Green Days

20 Highland Filling

12 Emotional Rescue

36 Lawbreakers Beware

54 Head to Head

CONTENTS

4 First GearOur regular round-up of Scania news

12 Emotional RescueNew 730 horsepower engine reviewed

18 At Your ServiceRSA partners with Scania

20 Highland FillingScania’s Tanker Support Service in action

26 Raising the BarEast London Bus prepare for the future

32 Sustainable PartnershipsCombined heat and power for Tesco

36 Lawbreakers BewareFighting crime on the road

37 Canned SuccessEddie Stobart’s rise to fame

42 Illuminating the StarsMaking movies with Arri Lighting Rental

47 Tonnes of FunThe UK Final of Young European Truck Driver

54 Head to HeadWith Jonas Hofstedt, Scania's Head of Powertrain Development

60 Greenday’s Green DayBand moving Euro 5-style

64 Paper TigerThe Delivery Co. drives for efficiency

68 Road RockWhat do you listen to on the road?

73 David Cameron’s Scania Driver ExperienceScania’s in-house licence acquisition service wins this David’s vote!

78 Breaking the MouldThe Michelin man speaks out

82 A Winning HandThree aces meet at the Ace

87 Passion, Prestige and ExcellenceA glorious story – it must be Goodwood!

SCANIAscene

82 A Winning Hand

47 Tonnes of Fun

87 Passion, Prestige and Excellence

4 SCENE SCANIA

FIRST GEAR

Scania (Great Britain) Limited has secured an order for ten ScaniaOmniExpress 36 touring coaches from the L. F. Bowen Group.Scheduled to enter service during 2010, these vehicles have beenselected following the successful trial of a Scania OmniExpress 36which has been operating within the Bowen-owned Appleby ‘Elite’fleet on a wide range of UK and European tours.

Each of the vehicles in this order will be built on Scania EB 4x2chassis equipped with 400 horsepower Scania Euro 5 EGRengines and Scania Opticruise 12-speed automated gearboxes.

“Our relationship with Scania and its products has developedover many years now and we are pleased to place this order withScania (Great Britain) Limited for the new and excitingOmniExpress, comments Kevin Lower, Chief Executive Officer forL. F. Bowen Limited. “An additional benefit is that the full two-yearrepair and maintenance contract provided with this productenables us to project our operating costs for at least the next twoyears. This facility, along with the passenger appeal of the OmniExpress 36, further enhances our relationship with Scania and weare now looking forward to operating these vehicles on our highlysuccessful tours programme.”

Ten tourers for L. F. Bowen GroupScania’s new R-seriesInternational Truck ofthe Year 2010

Scania’s new R-series range of trucks has been selected as theInternational Truck of the Year 2010, the most prestigiousdistinction in the European truck industry. Judged by a panelof journalists from 22 European countries, the jury’s statementcites the aerodynamic design of the R-series, operationaleconomy and the unique support system that spurs the driverto adopt more efficient driving habits:

“In particular, the latest model features a more aerodynamiccab profile that not only reduces fuel consumption but alsoimproves the flow of air through the engine compartment,thereby aiding engine cooling, a factor that will be especiallyimportant for the forthcoming, next generation of lower-emission Euro-6 diesels. Scania’s revised Opticruiseautomated gear-shifting system, launched on the newR-series, was also rated highly for its faster, smoother andmore intelligent shift strategy.

“The new Driver Support System (developed on theR-series) was seen by the majority of the jury as an innovativelearning tool capable of providing a continuous and pro-activeassessment of a driver out on the road, rating their fuelconsumption, driving efficiency and overall ‘road craft’ with asimple yet effective ‘star’ rating system which encourages adriver to excel. Last but not least, the R-series’ highly-attractive new interior impressed the ITOY jury with its latestdashboard, high level of comfort and ergonomics.”

In summary, concluded jury chairman Gianenrico Griffini,“Scania has delivered a state-of-the-art truck that setsnew standards in terms of fuel economy, driveability andoverall efficiency.”

The new R 730 goes PopBangColour!

There was a world’s first at the UK Final of this year’s YoungEuropean Truck Driver event when Ian Cook, the“PopBangColour” Artist-in-Residence at the Heritage MotorCentre, Gaydon, succeeded in creating a giant size 3 x 1.5mpainting of Scania’s newly-launched R 730, the world’s mostpowerful truck, in asingle day.

What made thisundertaking especiallyunusual is that ratherthan usingpaintbrushes, drops ofpaint were applied tothe canvas by thewheels of a radio-controlled model Scaniatruck skilfully pilotedby Ian.

You can read moreabout the new R 730 and Young European Truck Driver on pages12 and 47 respectively in this edition of Scene Scania.

SCENE SCANIA 5

No, the world’s press didn’t get it wrong – Fabio is here to stay – but theEngland team did get a new coach recently in the form of this superblyappointed Scania Irizar PB, operated on behalf of the FootballAssociation by Guideline Coaches London Limited.

Sporting the registration number FA10 ENG, the vehicle is the latest ina long line of Scania coaches delivered to Guideline Coaches London totransport the squad to and from their domestic matches and the airportwhen playing away.

The journey in South Africa may not have been as long as fans wouldhave wished for, but at least they can comfort themselves in theknowledge that the team started and finished their journey in style!

A new coach for England

People in the newsAn international move and new appointments forstaff at Scania (Great Britain) Limited

James Armstrong, formerlyAftersales Director for Scania (GreatBritain) Limited, has been appointedto the position of Managing Directorof Scania South East Asia. Based inKuala Lumpur, Malaysia, James tookup his new role on 1 September 2010.

Succeeding James is Mark Grant,previously Bus, Coach and EngineSales Director for Scania (GreatBritain) Limited. Since joining theorganisation 17 years ago, Markhas worked in a number of positionsin Aftersales, Contracts, CustomerServices and, latterly, overseeing thedevelopment of Scania’s UKpassenger carrying vehicles andindustrial/marine engines operations.

In turn, Mark is succeeded by TonyTomsett, who has been promotedfrom his current position, GeneralManager – Service Operations. Tonyis another long serving member ofstaff, with 13 years of experiencewithin the Scania (Great Britain)Limited organisation. In addition toService Operations, he has alsomanaged the company’s commercialand technical training functions.

“I would like to thank James for thesplendid work he has done leadingthe Aftersales division at Scania(Great Britain) Limited and Icongratulate him on his appointmentto his new role,” comments Hans-Christer Holgersson, ManagingDirector of Scania (Great Britain)Limited. “The appointments of Markand Tony very much reflect ourpolicy of developing our own staffand promoting from within whereverpossible. As such, I would like to wish them every success in theirnew roles.”

James Armstrong

Mark Grant

Tony Tomsettt

Scania has announced a new top-of-the-line V8 with the highest torque andpower ratings of any truck engine:3,500Nm and 730 horsepower. Equippedwith the latest Scania XPI fuel injectionsystem and a host of other innovations, the new engine raisesthe bar for heavy truck productivity.

In conjunction with the launch of the top-output engine, newstyling traits make all of Scania’s V8 trucks easily recognisableon the road. Based on the new Scania R-series, Scania V8 truckshave four power ratings to choose from: 500, 560, 620 and730 horsepower.

At the top of the range, the combination of 3,500Nm torqueand 730 horsepower is the world’s most powerful truck engineand Scania’s powertrain has been adapted to handleit comfortably. A reinforced Scania gearbox is fitted asstandard with the new Scania Opticruise automatedgearchanging system.

Read journalist Tim Blakemore’s first impressions of the newR 730 on page 12.

New V8 launched

FIRST GEAR

6 SCENE SCANIA

Wales’ oldest brewery tops up its fleetBrand leader

Our thanks go to Chris Kelly,Founder and Chairman ofScania Midlands dealerKeltruck, for this intriguingphoto of one of Gloucester-based Morton C. Cullimore andSon’s Scania trucks. The picturewas, in fact, taken at the annualcart marking ceremony, a long-standing tradition conductedby City of London liveryorganisation, the WorshipfulCompany of Carmen.

Every year, vehicles rangingfrom hand carts to trucks areselected to represent a broadswathe of our transportheritage. These are then‘marked’, which entails the

branding of a wooden plate(just visible in the photo) with ared-hot iron bearing a uniquevehicle number and the Carmencoat of arms.

The event, which nowadaysis purely ceremonial, datesback to the days when cartshad to be licensed to operatewithin the Square Mile. Andto win their spurs, hauliers ofthe day were expected touphold the Carmen’s motto,Scite, Cite, Certo.

That translates to Skilfully,Swiftly, Surely – a maxim wereckon holds as true for thetransport industry today as itever did.

Wales’ oldest operational brewery, The Felinfoel Brewery CompanyLimited of Felinfoel, near Llanelli, Carmarthenshire has takendelivery of three new Scania four-wheel rigid distribution trucks.Supplied by Silurian Scania, the Scania dealer for South Wales,West Wales and Herefordshire, the trucks have been acquiredthrough Scania Finance on five year full contract hire agreements.

All three vehicles are low chassis height Scania P 230 DB4x2MLAmodels with Scania CP16 day-cabs. Each is powered by a 230horsepower/1,050 Nm (774 Ibf.ft) torque Scania DC9-16 Euro 5 EGRengine driving through an eight-speed Scania G875 gearbox. Allmaintenance for the duration of the contract will be carried out bySilurian Scania’s Cross Hands depot.

“These vehicles have been acquired as part of our rolling fleetreplacement programme,” comments Felinfoel Brewery’s FinanceDirector, Philip Lewis. “We already operate an entirely Scania fleetand remain convinced that the marque is the best-suited to ouroperations, especially in terms of reliability, performance over thedemanding local terrain and the service support we receive fromSilurian Scania.”

The new vehicles are now delivering to Felinfoel Brewery’s 83owned public houses, which are located throughout South andCentral Wales. In addition, the firm also services a growingfree trade business with its range of beers and other licensedtrade products.

Lugg Valley Travels in style

Scania (Great Britain) Limited has recently delivered another12.2-metre Scania Irizar PB to Lugg Valley Travel. Built to LuggValley’s executive tourer specification, this latest addition to thefleet joins a similarly-appointed Scania Irizar PB working out ofthe company’s Leominster premises.

As with other Scania Irizar PBs previously purchased by LuggValley Travel and its sister company Yeomans Canyon Travel, thenew vehicle includes 49 luxury seats, servery, washroom,Blaupunkt video/audio equipment, dark tinted glass and a zonalclimate control system.

“Reliability, performance, round-the-clock aftersales supportand the professional, high quality image the vehicles portray arethe reasons we continue to purchase Scania Irizar PB coaches,”comments Lugg Valley Travel Managing Director, Nigel Yeomans.“As front line tourers, they provide our customers withexceptional levels of comfort and service in the expanding tourprogramme being offered by the company today.”

SCENE SCANIA 7

Fixed Price RepairsScania is continuing to drive change in the UKtruck maintenance industry with its unique andhighly competitively priced Fixed Price Repairsprogramme, which has rapidly establisheditself as an attractive option withthe UK’s transport operators

Available nationwide via Scania’s 90-strong service centrenetwork, replacement ball joints, water pumps, airbags,silencers and radiators are among the wide range of workshoprepair tasks proving particularly popular.

“Customers today need to accurately know the costs ofrepairs in advance — and with prices quoted and guaranteedup front, our Fixed Price Repairs programme breaks theindustry mould,” says Mark Grant, Aftersales Director forScania (Great Britain) Limited. “Scania Fixed Price Repairs arebased on the known standard times an experienced ScaniaTechnician will take to do the job. We know those times are themost efficient in the industry and if for any reason the jobshould take us longer, no additional labour charges will bepassed on to the customer.

“Furthermore, our Fixed Price Repairs use only Scania partsof the same quality as the original and the price we quoteincludes all consumables required to do the job. All ScaniaFixed Price Repairs carry a full warranty, including roadsideassistance and consequential damage cover.

“The net result is that Fixed Price Repairs from Scania areexceptionally cost-effective and represent excellent value formoney. And with every job carried out by fully-skilled ScaniaTechnicians, quality, attention to detail and peace of mind areall assured.

“The uptake and demand we are seeing around the UKclearly demonstrates that operators find our Fixed PriceRepairs programme an extremely attractive proposition. Wewill therefore continue to drive the change by furtherextending the range of jobs covered by the programme. Forthe future, we will be introducing Fixed Price Repairs to ourTrailer Services, Ancillary Services, major units and more.

“In summary, with top quality work and highly competitiveprices, Scania Fixed Price Repairs have been designed to takeaway the uncertainty and get vehicles back on the road asquickly and efficiently as possible.”

Scania at IAA 2010, Hanover

A host of innovations will be on display on the Scania stand(B06 in Hall 17) at this year’s IAA international commercialvehicle show in Hanover, Germany, which takes place between23-30 September.

The new R-series,the associatedimprovements on theP- and G-series andthe new V8 truckrange will all befeatured. Also onshow will be a rangeof componentsshowing state-of-the-art technologyunique to Scania,including the newhigh-output V8platform and a newrange of 9.3-litregas engines.

New General Manager for Scania Truck Rentalappointed

Scania (Great Britain) Limited hasappointed Steve Martin to the positionof General Manager – Scania TruckRental.

Steve brings with him 16 yearsexperience in the commercial vehiclerental industry, during which time he hasworked in a number ofroles covering sales,pricing, operationsand management. Hisnew post sees himtake overall day-to-day responsibility forScania’s UK-wide truckrental service, whichoffers a wide selectionof late-model Scaniarigid and articulatedtrucks for both shortand long term hire.

“In addition tooverseeing our UKoperations, Steve willalso focus ondeveloping ourproduct and servicesportfolio and further expanding our presence in the rental market,”comments Scania (Great Britain) Limited’s Finance and RentalDirector, Steve Wager. “Scania Truck Rental holds great appeal foroperators looking to hire premium quality vehicles with thebacking of a second-to-none international service organisation.Steve will work closely with our network to ensure the service wedeliver continues to improve and thereby meets our customers’needs more closely than ever.”

Scania Truck Rental offers a wide selection of

high specification trucks, including new

R-series models

8 SCENE SCANIA

FIRST GEAR

Designated fleet number 100, this new vehiclefeatures a bespoke livery, alloy wheels, extensivechequer-plating around the chassis and aluxuriously-appointed Topline cab. In service, thistruck will replace ‘Excalibur’, the specially-commissioned ‘gold’ Scania purchased by Knights of Old sevenyears ago to celebrate its golden jubilee. The new truck willbear the same name (the company has a tradition of naming itsvehicles after Arthurian legend) and, like its forebear, will bedriven by the same man, the firm’s longest-serving driver,Peter Morrell.The vehicle has been supplied by TruckEast Limited, Scania’s

Wellingborough-based dealer for the northern Home Countiesand East Anglia, which will also be responsible for the on-goingmaintenance of the truck under a six-year full repair andmaintenance contract.Commenting on the delivery of his company’s new flagship, Ian

Beattie said, “We are delighted to be putting this exciting newvehicle into service. We have operated Scanias for many years

and currently have 87 on the fleet — and the reason we keepcoming back for more is due to their quality, reliability andconsistently good fuel returns. We also enjoy an excellentrelationship with our dealer, TruckEast, whose service is key toour business as it leaves us free to focus on our clients withouthaving to worry about who is looking after the fleet.”Driver Peter Morrell was also upbeat about the company’s

latest acquisition: “I’m thrilled,” he said. “It’s been kept as asurprise for me, and if you’d asked me beforehand I’d have saidyou couldn’t beat my old truck — but they have, it’s fantastic. I’ma very lucky bloke! Being involved in both UK and Europeanwork means I spend an average of four days out of every sevenliving in the cab. The way I feel right now, I just wish it could beeight days a week...!”

R 620 flagship for Knights of OldKettering, Northamptonshire-based transport and logistics specialist, Knights of Old Limited, has takendelivery of a new flagship for its fleet, a high-specification Scania R 620 LA6x2/4MNA twinsteer model.

Carriages for Hackney

Hackney, London-based HCTGroup has taken delivery of itsfirst ten new Scania OnmiCitydouble deck buses. Built to TfLspecification and delivered byScania (Great Britain) Limited,the new vehicles are now inservice on HCT Group’s route212, St James’ (Wathamstow) toChingford route.

“The big attraction from ourpoint-of-view is that the ScaniaOmniCity means dealing with asingle supplier,” comments HCTGroup Regional Manager,George Mutch. “We havepreviously purchased usedScania buses, so the brand’sreliability and performance isalready known to us.

Nonetheless, before committingto this order we evaluated themarket before concluding theScania package provided thebest possible solution for ourbusiness needs.”

HCT Group’s new OmniCitydouble deckers are equippedwith 230 hp Scania Euro 5engines featuring EGR (ExhaustGas Recirculation) technologyand ZF 6HP504 fully automaticsix-speed gearboxes.

Based on Scania’s modulardesign concept, the OmniCityfamily provides a full range ofmodels, including low floor andlow entry single deck andarticulated variants and low-floor double deckers. Designed

and built entirely by Scania,OmniCity vehicles combine astylish exterior with a flexiblechoice of interior layouts in a

programme designed to fulfilthe needs of every urban,suburban and inter-urbanapplication.

Happy driver Peter Morrell

SCENE SCANIA 9

Bournemouth hotel and coachoperator, Laguna Travel, hastaken delivery of its secondScania Irizar i4 coach. Suppliedby Scania (Great Britain)Limited, the new vehicle isbased on a Scania K340 IB 4x2340 chassis and features a 340horsepower Euro 5 Scaniaengine with Exhaust GasRecirculation (EGR).

“While we have operatedScania coaches for many yearsand are therefore well aware ofthe benefits they deliver to acost-sensitive business such asours, Scania Euro 5 vehiclesoffer a considerable additional

advantage in that they do notrequire the addition ofAdBlue,” comments LagunaTravel Partner, RichardGwynne. “Couple to that theirproven quality, performanceand Scania’s local andnationwide backup and it alladds up to an excellentpackage in my opinion.”

Originally starting inbusiness as the operator ofBournemouth’s Laguna Hotel,Laguna Travel diversified intocoaching in the early 1990s inorder to provide itscustomers with a door-to-door holiday experience. Over

time, the company furtherdeveloped the transport armof its business and todayoperates a fleet of ninecoaches, eight of which are

Scania. In addition to its ownprogramme of holidaypackages, the company is alsoinvolved in private hire andschools’ contracts.

New Scania Irizar i4 for Laguna Travel

Autologic’s one-stop service providerScania (Great Britain) Limited has been appointed to manage and operate the Doncaster VehicleMaintenance Unit (VMU) of Autologic Holdings Plc, the nationwide provider of logistics and technicalservices to the automotive industry.

Under the agreementScania is responsiblefor every aspect of themaintenance ofapproximately 280Autologic drawbartrucks and trailers,including all requiredLOLER testing forlifting decks, with thesingle exception oftyre fleetmanagement.

Scania today offersan extensive range ofservices, includingVMU operation, underits Total TransportSolutions banner andits ability to provide anall-inclusivemaintenance solutionfor every item ofequipment in theAutologic mixed fleetof trucks and specialised car transporter trailers was key to thecontract award.

“We have an extremely complex fleet maintenance requirementwhich places high demands on suppliers as it calls for a widerange of capabilities and skills,” comments Simon Knight,Autologic’s Head of Operations — Fleet and Planning. “Up untilnow, our maintenance has been outsourced to a number ofsuppliers. This, however, ties up a great deal of management time

and resource, so wedecided to seek asingle supplier for abumper-to-bumpersolution instead.Achieving this,however, provedelusive until weentered intodiscussions withScania (GreatBritain), which haslong provided repairand maintenance forus on a localisedbasis.

“Scania’s abilityand willingness todeliver a high-qualitytotal transportsolution backed by acommitment tomaximise our uptime,which will be realisedby introducing

seven-day working at the Doncaster site, led to the agreementwe are now implementing.

“From our point-of-view, this is an ideal situation. We arealready well aware of the quality of Scania’s work and believethe closer integration of our two organisations will not onlyreduce our administration time and optimise our repair andmaintenance workflow, but also prove economically beneficial forboth parties.”

Autologic’s Simon Knight (centre) shakes on the deal with Scania’s Services Sales Director KirkFreezer (right) and General Manager of the VMU, Richard Popplewell

A Hard Day’s Night by Scania

Traditionally we operated a mixed marquefleet, now it’s virtually 100% Scania. Why? It’s afirst class product returning low whole lifecosts. And the dealer support and aftercarecan - at all levels and all times - be relied upon.

Ian BeattieManaging Director

Knights of Old

“”

12 SCENE SCANIA

The launch of the new

Scania 730 horsepower V8 –

the world's most powerful

truck – has certainly raised a

few eyebrows. But what

would the press make of it?

We asked TIM BLAKEMORE,

Managing Editor of

Commercial Vehicle

Engineer for his personal

and candid view

SCENE SCANIA 13

EMOTIONALRESCUET

here can be many rational reasons for making anemotional choice. Is that so? Veteran road transportjournalists like me are supposed to mock such

marketing slogans. So there I was on the verge of scoffingafter hearing this particular one applied in a craftilyunderstated sort of way to the 730 horsepower versions ofScania's new V8 R-series, when along came an invitation todrive them. OK, I thought, let’s not be unduly hasty. Thescornful comments can wait…Then I got to thinking about exactly what could be

meant by all this “rational reasons” and “emotionalchoices” malarkey. Perhaps there is room for a littleemotion in the truck-buying process. And maybe, just

maybe, rational justification for this musclebound 16.4-litreV8 can indeed be found purely by cool-headedconsideration of business- and engineering-related factors.Scania, after all, has a long and proud tradition of

building high-power flagship trucks with V8 engines,dating all the way back to 1969 and the 350hp 14.2-litreDS14. My thoughts turn to the many successful truckoperators I know who have bought top-of-the-range V8Scanias since then, not just for Special Types operations orhauling timber at 60 tonnes train weight in northernSweden, but in many cases to work at everyday grossweights where far less powerful engines would seem to bemore than capable of coping with the job in hand. �

I think back in particular to the 530 horsepower R144s runby Bird’s of the West Midlands, one of which I tested way backin 1996. The no-nonsense Bird's boss made it clear that therewere always sound commercial reasons behind every decisionhe took. Or what about the 500 horsepower R143 I tested inthe Scottish Highlands in 1994? It belonged to NorscotInternational, a wholesale fish merchant whose livelihooddepended on getting fresh fish to distant markets pronto. Thehard-nosed owner of that firm, one Donald Morrison, struckme as the very antithesis of a starry-eyed enthusiast fortrucks, describing them memorably as “boxes for fish at theend of the day.”

But still: 730 horsepower at 40-tonnes gross. Could it reallymake commercial sense?So to Trier, a pretty university city on the banks of the

Moselle river in western Germany, near the Luxembourgborder. It is, according to the guide-books, the oldest of allGerman cities, founded around 16 BC. More to the point, it isone of the few places in Europe with roads suitable fordemonstrating meaningfully (and legally) the performance at40-tonnes gross of a truck engine with a whopping 730hpand 3,500Nm of torque on tap.On the outskirts of Trier are a couple of long, multi-lane hills

with no restrictions on overtaking by trucks. Over the longerof these climbs (the seven-kilometre Hochwald hill) I drovethree of the latest new R-series V8 tractors, all two-axle unitspulling three-axle semi-trailers at a gross combination weightof 40-tonnes. The results are instructive.First up is an R 730 with Highline, high-roof sleeper cab and

3.27:1 drive axle on 70 percent aspect ratio tyres. The

14 SCENE SCANIA

significance of the differential ratio and tyre size here is thatone of the changes introduced with this 730 horsepower V8 isan exceptionally tall rear-axle ratio of 3.08, allowing 85km/hcruising at an engine speed of only just over 1,000 rpm. Withthe 3.27:1 single-reduction axle at 85km/h the rev countershows a whisker under 1,200rpm – relaxed enough by anynormal standards.

TWO-PEDAL SCANIA OPTICRUISELike all the trucks on the Trier demonstration, this first R 730has a two-pedal version of the latest Scania Opticruiseautomated-shift system for the 14-ratio (12-speed, range-change plus-splitter) gearbox. The option of Scania Opticruisewith a clutch pedal for stopping and starting remainsavailable, though it is hard to see why any operator or drivershould think it necessary, given the refinement and precisionof the latest automated electro-hydraulic clutch control.Judging by the performance of all three trucks I drove in

Germany, it can be argued that Scania Opticruise these days isthe automated gear selection system to beat. Much dependson programming of the gearshift software, of course, but onthe boxes behind the 730 horsepower version of the latest V8there are mechanical modifications too, as might be expected

The British press were invited to test the new R 730 in the beautiful, but

demanding, Moselle region of western Germany

�

SCENE SCANIA 15

to cope with such extraordinary torque: peaking at 3,500Nmbetween 1,000 and 1,350rpm. The single-disc clutch has beenbeefed-up and has higher clamp forces. Gears in the latestGRSO925 box (the “2” signifying higher torque capacity) havebeen strengthened through enhanced heat treatment andrevised gear geometry.All this strengthening and uprating might reasonably be

expected to result in rather more ponderous gearshifting insome circumstances. There was not the slightest hint of this isin either of the 730s I tried. Even when shifting from high tolow range and vice versa, automated gearshifts are silky-smooth and barely perceptible most of the time.On the Hochwald hill, a seven-kilometre climb with an

average gradient of five percent, my policy was to leaveOpticruise in ‘normal’ mode. At a trifling 40-tonnes grosstrain weight, with this much power and torque on tapswitching to 'power' mode would have seemed extravagant, tosay the least.

Scania's engineers and test drivers had earlier spent manyhours recording performance over this hill and others. It wouldseem churlish to dismiss their figures, so I have leaned onthem here, following confirmation on my drives that thenumbers stack up.

My first R 730 hardly broke sweat in romping up theHochwald gradient in five minutes and six seconds,effortlessly passing countless other trucks in the process. Westarted the climb at 85km/h in gear 12 (overdrive top). Onlyone downshift was needed throughout the climb and on thesteepest part of the hill our speed fell no lower than 77km/h.

FUEL-EFFICIENTGearing trucks for motorway cruising at fuel-efficient lowengine speeds is nothing new, but barely more than 1,000rpmat 85km/h (1,064rpm, to be precise) would seem to bebordering on wishful thinking. On the face of it, there seems areal risk of the truck becoming so long-legged that it becomesdecidedly ungainly in some circumstances. Yet this is how mysecond R 730 in Trier was geared, with a 3.08:1, R780 single-reduction axle on 80 percent aspect ratio tyres.

Such is the extraordinary oomph of this 16.4-litre enginethat it pulls such gearing with no trouble at all. Perhaps themost noticeable difference from the driver's seat, comparedwith the shorter-geared 730, is a slightly harsher engine tone,as more use is made of torque around the 1,000rpm mark. Butmake no mistake, regardless of axle ratio, this 730 horsepowerEuro-5/EEV Scania is whisper-quiet. The familiar old Scania

16 SCENE SCANIA

V8 growl is gone, perhaps partly as a knock-on effect of theSCR (Selective Catalytic Reduction) equipment in the exhaust.A good indication of the effect on performance of the

exceptionally-tall gearing comes from the Hochwald hillnumbers. As before, my start speed on the climb is 85km/h ingear 12 (overdrive top). For about five kilometres followingthat there is scarcely any difference in performance figuresbetween the two R 730 trucks. Only on the steepest part ofthe climb does the longer-geared truck slow a little more,down to 69km/h instead of 77km/h and down two gears (to10) instead of one. In terms of overall hill-climb time, thedifference is only 11 seconds. The R 730 with 3.08 axlecompletes the climb in five minutes and 17 seconds.Let's be frank, operators seeking maximum possible fuel

economy above all else at 40-tonnes gross carriage weightare unlikely to have the 730 horsepower Scania R-series ontheir shopping lists, regardless of axle ratio. But wheremaximum productivity is the goal, the story could easily bedifferent. My brief R 730 test drives suggest strongly to methat the ultra-tall axle ratio would be a wise choice, sacrificinga barely noticeable amount of stunning acceleration and hill-climbing performance for what should be worthwhile fueleconomy gains.

The third truck I drove in Trier was an R 500 with Toplinecab and 500 horsepower Euro-5 15.6-litre engine drivingthrough a GRS905R direct-top, 14-speed box to a 2.71:1 single-reduction drive axle on 70 percent aspect ratio tyres. In mostcircumstances, the power and torque of this engine wouldseem more than generous at 40-tonnes: nominal maximumpower of 500 horsepower at 1,800rpm and peak torque of2,500Nm at 1,000-1,350rpm, with motorway cruising at85km/h at 1,242rpm.Yet two short drives in the R 730s seem to have spoilt my

objectivity. In the first few minutes of driving the R 500I struggle to get past the irrational feeling that this truck issomehow under-powered. It's that rational thought versusemotion thing again. Let's concentrate on the performancefigures. The R 500 climbed the Hochwald hill in a perfectly-respectable time of six minutes and 13 seconds, needing onlytwo downshifts (to gear 10) and with a minimum speed of56km/h. But it is worth emphasising that this time is around20 percent longer than the R 730’s.

This underlines not only how demanding is this particular hillbut also the extraordinary relaxed capability of the R 730.Steady now…I’m starting to get all emotional again, and that

would never do!

SCENE SCANIA 17

The heart of the machine: Scania’s new 16.4-litre 730 horsepower V8

�

18 SCENE SCANIA

AT YOUR SERVICERSA enhances its repair network for commercial customers with Scania

RSA Motor Operations hasextended its customer repairservices to cater for accident

damaged trucks, tankers, trailers and otherspecialist commercial vehicles as part ofthe ongoing development of its UKPriority Repair Network.This service isnow being provided in association withScania as the preferred partner for therepair of commercial vehicles, includinglight vans.

This development follows earlierenhancements to RSA’s Priority RepairNetwork made in 2009. In addition torepair services, there is also the option of areplacement while a vehicle is off the roadbeing repaired. Scania Assistance cansource a replacement vehicle throughScania truck rental’s extensive hire fleet.

Commenting on the service, IanThompson, Director, UK Motor Claimsat RSA, says, “This latest servicedevelopment demonstrates that wecontinue to listen and respond to ourcustomers’ needs. Our Priority RepairNetwork has been a huge success, andthrough our partnership with Scania moreof our commercial customers will now beable to benefit from the repair qualityand service assurance our extendednetwork offers.”

“Scania today operates a nationwideaccident management and repair network,which combines state-of-the-artequipment with a highly skilledworkforce,” comments Kirk Freezer,

Services Sales Director for Scania (GreatBritain) Limited. “All our repairs arecarried out to the highest standards ofquality and safety which, together with ourcommitment to getting operators back upand running and our ability to provide acoast-to-coast service, are the reasons whyScania has been selected for thisprestigious partnership with RSA MotorOperations.”

Recognising the need to return vehiclesto the road as quickly as possible, Scania’saccident management and repair networkhas been designed to minimise disruptionand inconvenience. “As a key supplier tothe industry, Scania recognises and truly

�

appreciates the importance of uptime to itscustomers,” adds Kirk Freezer. “That’swhy we offer a complete one-stop servicefrom roadside assistance to full repair,including all liaison with insurancecompanies and third parties along the way.But although this is a Scania service, itdoesn’t stop there – for no matter whichmake of commercial vehicle is involved, wewill always be happy to help.”

The Scania accident management and

repair service can be accessed 24/7.

A single call to Scania Assistance on

0800 800 660 is all that’s required.

�

The price we quoteis the price you’ll pay.Customers have welcomed our new fixed pricerepair policy.

They know that the repair price we quote (whichincludes everything - labour, parts and consumables)is the price they’ll pay. And not a penny more.

HIGHLANDKeeping Scotland fuelled up is a demanding operation requiring reliable trucks and

From Gretna Green to its farthest northernreaches – sometimes described as Europe’slast great wilderness – the terrain of Scotland

has a rugged beauty all of its own. There’s a reasonfor that, of course, and it’s all to do with thecountry’s climate, which over the course of time hascarved, etched and eroded the dramatic and varied

Scottish landscape we see today.Bravehearts will tell you that while the country’s

weather is harsh, it’s not extreme. But we reckon that’sall a matter of opinion, and while you won’t findicebergs off the coast as you do at similar latitudes,winter temperatures into the -20˚Cs and up to4,500mm of rain a year (that’s 15" in case you haven’t

20 SCENE SCANIA

FILLINGa dependable support system. HIGHLAND FUELS have found both in a single

supplier: Scania

yet gone metric) are the norm. Sounds pretty cold andwet to us.“That’s why Scotland requires a regular and reliable

source of fuel – we depend on it,” says AlistairMcIntosh, Operations Manager for Highland FuelsLimited, one of Scotland’s major fuel suppliers.Headquartered in Inverness, Highland Fuels operates a �

SCENE SCANIA 21

coast-to-coast service providing fuel of all types. Todo this, a total of ten storage depots are required,including one a mile or two from its HQ adjacent tothe mouth of the River Ness, (and, yes, there is atea room named the Ness Café just around thecorner), which is where we met up with AlistairMcIntosh to discuss the firm’s operations.

each. We can see what he means.To service the demands of the

operations, Highland Fuels runs an all-Scania fleet of 36. “We’ve got 4x2, 6x2,6x4, 8x4 rigids, including a number ofdrawbars, and a variety of tractor unittypes,” says Alistair McIntosh. “We needall of these to ensure we have the righttruck for the job. Access is frequentlyan issue, which is why we run a varietyof rigid wheelplans. The tractors areused for bulk deliveries, includingtopping up our own tanks at some ofour smaller installations.”

It was more than ten years ago thatHighland Fuels first invested in Scania.“We’ve stuck with them ever sincebecause the relationship has workedextremely well for us,” confirms AlistairMcIntosh. “Reliability isn’t an issue – ourvery first Scania, an S-reg model, is stillin service today – our drivers like them,and we have always enjoyed anexcellent relationship with Scania’sAftersales team. So much so, in fact,that we now have every vehicle in thefleet except for one, which is located inan extremely remote location, on full

22 SCENE SCANIA

“Oil is essential to Scotland’s way oflife and we always aim to be there forour customers,” he says. “This meansturning out in all weathers wheneverand wherever we can and helping out inthe case of emergencies. And whenconditions make it simply impossible forus to deliver by truck, we offer a drumcollection service so people will not betotally cut off from their fuel supply.“Our customers range from domestic

and retail users through to theindustrial, commercial, marine andfarming sectors. So, as you can imagine,we travel to some rather remotelocations.”

All in all, Highland Fuels makes inexcess of 70,000 deliveries a year,ranging from small household drops of900-litres or so to complete tank loadsof up to 36,000-litres. “I always say ourbusiness is all about taking fuel frombig tanks and putting it into smallerones!” says Alistair McIntosh. As wespeak, behind us looms the giantstorage tanks of the Inverness terminal.Fed by ships moored in the Moray Firth,these tanks hold up to five million litres

In addition to truck servicing, repair

and maintenance, Scania today

provides a complete range of tanker

support services, including all safety

testing required by the fuel supply

industry

“Reliability isn’t an issue – our very first Scania, an S-reg model,

is still in service today – our drivers like them, and we have

always enjoyed an excellent relationship with Scania’s

Aftersales team.”

Alistair McIntosh, Operations Manager for Highland Fuels Limited

�

SCENE SCANIA 23

Scania repair and maintenancecontracts. These are for an initial fiveyears, which we then extend for afurther five followed by another two.“This gives us a number of

advantages. Firstly, we keep our trucks along time – we don’t even considerselling them until they are at leastten years old – so having cover forthis period of time enables us toprecisely know our operating costs.Secondly, we have the same peoplemaintaining all our vehicles, which givesus consistency of quality and peaceof mind. Thirdly, Scania provides uswith a comprehensive range ofservices which extend way beyond thetrucks themselves.”

Here, Alistair McIntosh is referring toScania’s Tanker Support Service, whichoffers full service support for theoperators of all types of tankers. A keyelement from the perspective of fuelsuppliers is the provision of anationwide network of PetroleumRegulation/ADR workshops capable ofhandling all tanker testing andcertification requirements.This includes the two-yearly tanker

Vapour Tightness Test, as demanded bythe UK Safe Loading Pass Scheme, andthe mandatory three-yearly Leak ProofTightness Test required by EuropeanADR legislation. With regard to theVapour Tightness Test, if necessaryScania is able to rectify any faults onthe premises and retest immediately,thereby saving a second test fee aswell as additional inconvenience andextra costs.All Scania’s ADR and Petroleum

Regulations tanker testing is carried outin conjunction with its CompetentAuthority Partners and conductedstrictly in accordance with the SafeLoad Pass and Health & SafetyExecutive codes of practice.“This works really well for us,” says

Alistair McIntosh. “In addition to routineservicing, our repair and maintenancecontracts cover safety checks, MOTs andSafe Loading Passes. Scania maintainsour PTOs, pumps, hose reels anddrawbar hitches. We’ve even used themfor vapour tightness testing.

“The one-stop shop conveniencefactor is another reason behind ourchoice to operate only Scania vehicles.And once again it gives us confidence:Confidence that our O-licence is in safehands, confidence that we won’t begetting any prohibition notices and, ofcourse, the confidence that comes withfixed, known costs.”

24 SCENE SCANIA

Scania provides a selection of lightweight, powerful vehicles designed and builtto comply with ADR* and Petroleum Regulations** specifications, includingitems required by the regulations as detailed in the table below.

A range of specialist vehicles for ADR andfuel industry operators

Technical Specifications

ADRFL EX III EXII OX AT Pet Reg

Electrical equipment

Wiring x x x x x

Battery master switch x x x

Batteries x x x x

Tachographs x x x

Permanently-energisedinstallations x x x

Braking

Anti-lock x x x x x

Endurance x x x x x

Fire risks

Cab: Materials x x x

Cab: Thermal shield x x

Fuel tanks x x x x x

Engine x x x x x

Exhaust system x x x x

Endurance braking system x x x x x

Combustion heaters x x x x x x

Speed limitation x x x x x x

ADR Abbreviations keyFL: Flammable Materials EXIII: Explosives (Category 2) EXII: Explosives (Category 1)OX: Oxidising Materials AT: Other

All Scania factory-prepared ADR vehicles are supplied conforming with EC Directive e1*98/91*

* ADR: The European Union standard for the authorised carriage of dangerous goods by road. Assuch, ADR is a European-wide requirement for all road-based movements of dangerous goods.

** Petroleum Regulations: Also known as the Safe Loading Pass Scheme, the PetroleumRegulations standard has been set by the major oil companies to detail the requirements of anyequipment operated within a refinery or loading dock.�

Scania Fixed Price Repairs.

Available from participating dealers.All prices quoted exclude VAT.Terms and conditions apply.www.scania.co.uk/fixedpricerepairs

AirBagfrom

£159

Radiato

r

from

£609

Ball Jo

int

from

£134

26 SCENE SCANIA

RAISINGTHE BAR

The Games may not be coming to town until 2012, but for

EAST LONDON BUS GROUP the Olympic effect arrived four years early

Approaching West Ham station,

travellers on the tube (overground at

this point) may catch a glimpse of the

four hooped roofs of East London Bus Group’s

flagship garage coinciding neatly with the

former Millennium Dome, a mile or two distant

on the Greenwich Peninsula. For a fleeting

moment, the sight conjures up thoughts of the

five Olympic rings, a fitting image considering

the forthcoming Games have been responsible

for the creation of East London Bus Group’s

prestigious new premises. �

SCENE SCANIA 27

“The 2012 bid earmarked two of ourlocations in Stratford forredevelopment; one for the PressCentre, the other as part of the OlympicVillage – so when London won, we hadno choice but to relocate,” explains EastLondon Bus Group Chief ExecutiveOfficer, Nigel Barrett.For any company, relocation means

upheaval. But given that East LondonBus Group is today one of the capital’slargest players, and had to accomplishthe move without any disruption to itsservices, the challenge would beespecially daunting.

And that’s not to mention a couple of

28 SCENE SCANIA

Above: View from the top as the London

2012 Olympic stadium takes shape

of the site while the remainder wasbeing worked on.

“Although not ideal from anoperational point-of-view, the keypoints were that it gave us bus parkingspace and enabled us to maintain ourservices to the public,” says NigelBarrett. “During this period, we reliedon our Rainham garage to providevehicle maintenance and servicesupport. That’s about ten miles awayand to keep the fleet running we had tohave 12 drivers tied up on ferryingvehicles between the two locations – asI say, not ideal, but needs must.”

Although responsible for 330 millionpassenger journeys a year, East LondonBus Group actually only has onecustomer, Transport for London (TfL),which would play an integral part in therelocation of the company.

“The site for our new garage wasowned by Transport for London (TfL)and the London Development Agency

(LDA, the Mayor of London’s agency fordriving sustainable economic growth inthe capital), explains Nigel Barrett. “TfLcommissioned the building with theintention of making it a showpiece forthe industry and meeting thesustainable objectives of the Mayor.”

The result is undoubtedly impressive:With secure parking for 320 standardlength vehicles, East London BusGroup’s new West Ham garage is thelargest in the country, possibly inEurope. Beneath the distinctive quartetof roofs are the company’s operationsand administration centre, a light andairy 100-seat canteen and extensivemaintenance facilities with 22 pits(including six over 20-metres in lengthto accommodate articulated vehicles)and a further six bays for specialisttasks, such as electrical andcoachbuilding work.

With an interior boasting muchexposed concrete and steelwork, the

SCENE SCANIA 29

other salient points; one, at the time thecompany was just two years into a newlease of life as an independent operatorfollowing its purchase from Stagecoach;and two, when the day to depart theold premises arrived, work had only justbegun on the new site. In terms of thescale of the task confronting the firm,Herculean would perhaps have been amore appropriate term than Olympic.

“It certainly was quite a challenge,”confirms Nigel Barrett. “But also onewhich presented the opportunity toraise the bar in terms of our garageoperating standards, quality andenvironmental performance. However,before we could even begin tocontemplate enjoying the benefits, wehad to overcome the small matter ofleaving our old Stratford premiseswithout a new home to go to!”

Happily, the West Ham site wassufficiently large to allow East LondonBus Group to temporarily occupy part

“Scania buses are an integral part of our operation – and such is

our faith in them that since becoming independent we have

purchased no other make of double decker, “That’s because we

know Scania vehicles are reliable and durable, especially with

regard to the major units.”

Nigel Barrett, East London Bus Group Chief Executive Officer

�

building makes an unashamedarchitectural statement and its attentionto environmental issues makes it aGrand Design for the modern age.“Starting at the top, two of the roof

sections are covered with a succulentplant which captures moisture andreleases it into our water system,” saysNigel Barrett. “Down below, we have abiomass boiler, which operates on woodpellets, providing most of the heatingfor the offices and workshop.

“Outside, a wind turbine is beinginstalled in the bus parking area togenerate power, with any surplus beingfed into the National Grid. Althoughmore than 1,000 employees are basedat the garage, we only have 56 carparking spaces on site, including threewith charging points for electricvehicles. That has been made possibleby the fact that West Ham has excellenttransport links. Our staff commuteusing public transport and we provideshuttle services to and from the localstations.”Continuing the environmental theme,

East London Bus Group is committed torunning as clean a fleet as possible. Itscomplement of 174 Euro 4 and Euro 5Scania OmniCity double deckers playan important role here.“Scania buses are an integral part of

our operation – and such is our faith inthem that since becoming independent

we have purchased no other make ofdouble decker,” confirms Nigel Barrett.“That’s because we know Scania vehiclesare reliable and durable, especially withregard to the major units. Our operatingexperience of them goes back to theearly ‘90s, so they are well proven withinour fleet.“We also believe them to be an

attractive vehicle for London, both interms of their design and appearanceand with respect to the seating layout,which allows plenty of legroom,particularly on the upper deck.

DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME

“Moreover, ensuring the buy-in of ourdrivers is an obviously important factorand here Scania have been prepared towork with us. During the developmentprogramme, our engineers and unionrepresentatives visited Scania andadvised on how they would like theassault screen, driver’s door andticketing area laid out. As a consequence,the vehicles fulfil our staff’s needs andhave been well-accepted all round.“The final part of the jigsaw in terms of

why we continue to run with Scania isthat its dealership in Purfleet is easilyaccessible to our garages on both sidesof the River Thames. That’s importantwhen it comes to initial servicing, partssupply and warranty work.

“Put together, all this gives us

considerable peace of mind, which isexactly what you need in an operationof this scale. We hold 96 Londoncontracts, ranging from single vehicleroutes to 50-bus operations, all ofwhich call for the highest standards ofservice and quality. As part of this, werun 170 buses on a Sunday from WestHam garage — more than other Londonoperators garages do on a Monday toFriday — so the last thing we need is tobe worrying about whether our fleet isup to the job or not.”And, of course, there’s the 2012

Olympics to think about:“The Games will present a chance for

public transport to shine, that’s forsure,” says Nigel Barrett. “We are likelyto be asked by TfL to be supplementingour regular services to provideadditional support during the Games,but for us the main benefit will be in thelegacy, as the Olympic Village isscheduled to become a housing projectafter the event.

“That’s part of the reason why ournew garage has the capacity to housemore than 60 additional buses than itdoes at present. The Olympic Gamesare bringing a wealth of development toEast London and with our state-of-the-art premises and environmentally- andoperationally-efficient Scania fleet, weare very much looking forward to beingpart of that success.”

30 SCENE SCANIA

�

Scania Fixed Price Repairs.

Available from participating dealers.All prices quoted exclude VAT.Terms and conditions apply.www.scania.co.uk/fixedpricerepairs

S Service

from

£264

Silence

rfrom

£404

WaterPum

p

from

£239

When Tesco opened the world’sfirst zero-carbon store inRamsey, a small town situated

near the university city of Cambridge,late last year, it marked the latest majormilestone in the supermarket’s massivegreen investment programme.One especially innovative aspect of

Tesco’s approach is the utilisation of

Fleetsolve’s sophisticated (CHP)systems within its stores, of whichRamsey is the latest manifestation. Infact, the use of Fleetsolve’s CHPsolution at Ramsey is an integral part ofthe project and a key contributor to thepremises’ zero-carbon status.Tesco engaged Fleetsolve in 2007 to

jointly explore alternatively-fuelled

generation systems to reduce its carbonfootprint by lowering the company’sreliance on mains supply gas andelectricity. Fleetsolve has since installedits Scania-engined CHP units to anumber of stores and distributioncentres nationwide.

“The Tesco project fits seamlesslywith the global remit to reduce carbon

SUSTAINABLEPARTNERSHIPSLeading UK sustainable power specialist FLEETSOLVE LIMITED is at the

forefront in the developing field of bio-powered technology. With a client list

that reads like a Who’s Who of British industry, the company is delighted to

have seen its Scania-powered Combined Heat and Power (CHP) units chosen

by supermarket giant Tesco to help minimise its impact upon the environment

32 SCENE SCANIA

42 SCENE SCANIA

�

SCENE SCANIA 33

emissions and the impact of industry onthe environment,” says Fleetsolve’sManaging Director, Keith O’Connor. “Weare committed to an on-going programmeof research and development, whichcontinually pushes the boundaries tocreate unique sustainable power solutionsfor the embedded power generation andautomotive sectors.“Keen to select the most robust and

forward-thinking engine partner for our150 to 500kVa range combined heat andpower (CHP) solutions, a number ofdifferent engines were subjected to arigorous 3,000 hour dynamometer trial.The Scania engine performance wasunsurpassed under laboratory conditionsand proved that they are efficient,intelligent and reliable and therefore idealfor integrating with Fleetsolve’s ownunique biofuel combustion system.

EFFICIENT OPERATION“The specially designed system enablesthe engine to operate even moreefficiently when using sustainably sourcedorganic fuels, reducing carbon emissionsby over 80 percent and improving fuelefficiency by five percent. This solutionwhen used in Fleetsolve’s CHP unitprovides an overall plant efficiency of 90percent, which is of particular benefit forachieving carbon reduction, cost-effectiveenergy supply and obtaining the stringentand sometimes elusive planningpermissions for new building applications.

“All of these elements form part of theFleetsolve Sustainable Power Packagewhich includes assistance with planningapplications, emissions control, groundworks, fuel tank, biofuel supply and thefull installation and commissioning of theCHP. Fleetsolve also supplies an ongoingenergy management and maintenanceservice to ensure high levels ofperformance and availability.“

At the heart of the Tesco Ramseysystem is a constant-running 16-litre V8

Scania DC16-44 engine driving a350kVa generator connected inparallel with the mains electricity. Inaddition to the units’ electrical power-output, heat from the exhaust, coolingsystem and lubrication system iscaptured and used to heat and coolthe store. In this way, the CHP systemprovides two streams of energy –electrical and heat – from a singlefuel input.

MANAGING DEMANDIn operation, Fleetsolve’s advancedcontrol system manages electricaldemand from the generator andenables it to shed load when required.It also synchronises the unit’s poweroutput with the incoming supply,monitors mains faults and exportselectricity when store demand is low.In terms of heating, a state-of-the-artelectronic CHP management systemtracks the requirements of the buildingand adjusts the CHP’s outputaccordingly.A further factor underpinning

Fleetsolve’s use of Scania engines isthe backup provided by thenationwide Scania dealer network.“This is an extremely important aspectfor us,” says Keith O’Connor. “As oursystems are required to be available foruse 24/7 throughout the UK, we haveto be able to rely on first-classaftersales support from our enginesupplier. The extent of the Scanianetwork means this need can befulfilled easily anywhere, andconsequently each system we deliverhas a Scania engine maintenancecontract attached to it.“This ensures support will be on

hand for the engines whenever weshould need it. Once again, this addsto our confidence and gives the peaceof mind that both we and ourcustomer demand.”

In terms of environmental leadership,

Tesco is unquestionably at the forefront

and a pioneer in the field. The environment

rides high on its Corporate Social

Responsibility agenda and its words are

backed up by actions – the company was

recently awarded the prestigious Carbon

Trust Standard, a coveted award presented

only to companies that pass a rigorous,

independent investigation into how they

are cutting carbon footprint and reducing

their direct impact on climate change.

Commenting on Tesco’s award of

Carbon Trust Standard, the scheme’s

General Manager Harry Morrison, said:

“Tesco has demonstrated that successful

businesses can grow and simultaneously

cut their emissions in absolute terms

with a positive impact on the bottom

line. We urge other businesses to be

inspired by Tesco’s achievement and take

similar action.”

For Tesco, Executive Director Lucy

Neville-Rolfe added: “Gaining the Carbon

Trust Standard is incredibly important

because it confirms, independently, that

we are delivering on our ambitious plans

to fight climate change as a successful,

growing business. Tesco’s commitment to

cutting our carbon footprint – among

other key environmental targets – is

central to our business strategy.”

Tesco’s award winning

environmental performance

“The Scania engine performance was unsurpassed under

laboratory conditions and proved that they are efficient,

intelligent and reliable and therefore ideal for integrating

with Fleetsolve’s own unique biofuel combustion system.”

Keith O’Connor, Managing Director, Fleetsolve

34 SCENE SCANIA

�

The price we quoteis the price you’ll pay.Customers have welcomed our new fixed pricerepair policy.

They know that the repair price we quote (whichincludes everything - labour, parts and consumables)is the price they’ll pay. And not a penny more.

36 SCENE SCANIA

Truck drivers on their mobiles,driving with feet up on thedashboard, cooking meals, using

laptops, watching DVDs; all these thingsand more happen on our motorways. Howdo we know? Because other truck driverstell us so.”

Those are the words of PC Angus Nairnof West Mercia Police’s Central MotorwayGroup, which regularly canvasses the viewsof commercial vehicle drivers as to what’sgood and what’s not out on the road. Heldon the firstWednesday of every month atmotorway service stations within its area,Operation Stammtisch is an on-goingforum which allows PC Nairn and hiscolleagues to talk to drivers in confidenceabout issues which concern them.

“One of the most common mattersraised over a considerable period of timehas been that of foreign drivers in left handdrive trucks committing one or more of theabove offences,” says PC Nairn. “While wecould appreciate the problem, ourdifficulty was that we couldn’t do anythingabout it as from our position in a patrol carwe simply could not see what going on. Sowe came up with the idea of using a truck,which would enable us to take policing to anew level – literally!”

PC Nairn duly approached Scania toenquire whether a vehicle could be loanedto the force. As it happened, the requestcoincided with the launch of the newR-series.With the truck certain to attractattention, (part of the plan was to apply a‘Battenberg’ livery), an agreement wasreached and the first new R-series into theUK was soon on its way to the force’sheadquarters.

“The truck has been used in OperationParochial, which has been designed tocatch offending commercial vehicledrivers,” explains PC Nairn. “We targetboth foreign and UK trucks and the waywe work is to have an officer in the cabwith a video camera. As we are driving forpolice purposes, we are allowed to exceedthe 56 miles per hour truck speed limit. Aswe pass vehicles, if we see anythinguntoward happening, we film them. Afollowing police vehicle is then called in topull the offending truck over. If the driverdenies any wrongdoing, we show them thevideo.We are then empowered to give thema Graduated Fixed Penalty, whicheffectively works as a spot fine.That’sbecause if it’s not paid immediately, weimpound the driver’s vehicle – and it willcost them more to retrieve it later on.”

Such has been the interest generated bythe Central Motorway Police Group thatthe vehicle has now featured on thepopular ITV TV programme Police,Camera, Action!

“The truck has also appeared extensivelywithin the trade press and we are delightedat the coverage it has received,” says PCNairn. “That’s because for us, all publicityis good publicity – and if it makes driversthink twice before acting dangerously outon the road because they are fearful ofgetting caught, then that has to be a goodthing in my book.”

LAWBREAKERS BEWAREFor the Force is now with you

PC Angus Nairn of West Mercia Police’s Central

Motorway Group

“

�

CANNEDSUCCESSThe view from the boardroom window at EDDIE STOBART LIMITED’s massiveDaventry International Rail Freight Terminal (DIRFT) premises is a millionmiles away from the company’s Cumbrian roots. But, as Chief OperatingOfficer William Stobart explains in this exclusive interview with Scene Scaniacorrespondent Phil Sampson, the company’s focus is still the same today as it’salways been

SCENE SCANIA 37

�

38 SCENE SCANIA

Looking after customers; moving their goods fromA to B – that’s what we do,” says William Stobartemphatically. And as our conversation progresses I come

to realise, despite the overwhelming enormity of the many-facetedStobart Group, in the mind of its Chief Operating Officer the jobreally is as straightforward as that.

It’s probably because William Stobart grew up with trucks andhas spent his entire working life around transport that he hasmanaged to retain the gift of an unclouded vision.There’s noquestioning his in-depth knowledge of the innermost workings ofthe industry, but for him it all comes back to first principles; doingwhat customers want, on time, every time. Nothing complicatedthere, of course, it’s just that Stobart Group today has lots ofcustomers. And moves an awful lot of goods…

The connection between the Stobart family and transportstretches back to the 1960s, when sole trader E. P. Stobart set upin business as an agricultural contractor. “My father bought hisown wagon to distribute the animal feeds he dealt in to the localfarmers; that’s where it all began,” explains William Stobart.

“In 1970, the business was incorporated and became EddieStobart Limited. By then, my father owned a fleet of five vehicles,all eight-wheel tippers, and had set his sights on haulage. Hepurchased his first Scania, an LB 110 Super, that year. Plated at32-tons, it had a 260 horsepower engine – somewhatunderpowered by today’s standards, but certainly not at the time. Iwas nine-years-old when that truck arrived and I remember howimpressed with it we all were. It was really advanced compared toour Atkinsons and Fodens. I took the photo of it, (top right),– that’s my old dog next to it!

COLLECT AND DELIVER“By the mid-1970s, my father was transporting a lot of fertiliser.He would collect it from the mills, freshly produced, still warm andpacked in hundredweight sacks. I was around 14-years-old at thetime and my brothers and I would help handball the load off andsplit it onto pallets for individual deliveries. As I was taller than mybrothers, I would stand on the ground and they would pass thebags down to me. I remember going to school and telling mymates I had 40 tons across my back last night – but they neverbelieved me!”

“

SCENE SCANIA 39

Despite the hard work,William Stobart retains fond memoriesof those early experiences. “It set the scene for me,” he recalls. “Ialways knew that one day I would join the business.”

The young William would have to wait a further nine yearsbefore realising his ambition. Before that, his brother Edwardwould become part of the family firm, overseeing its transitionfrom agricultural contractor to transport and warehousing.

“Edward focused on customer service and developing a strongreputation for the firm throughout the North West,” says WilliamStobart. “He was also the driving force behind one of the mostimportant decisions in our history, which was to break away fromsub-contracting and work only for the customer direct.

“This was undoubtedly a brave decision, but one that paid off.As a subbie we always faced problems.We had little control overour own destiny; getting paid could be difficult; we were even toldwe couldn’t tender for business as it ‘belonged’ to someone else –in short, sub-contracting hindered our growth. Edward recognisedthat and decided we should go our own way.”

Towards the end of the 1970s, Eddie Stobart decided to returnto his roots and created Eddie Stobart Trading Limited, a fertilisertrading company. Edward took control of Eddie Stobart Limited,

Top: Eddie Stobart’s first Scania, pictured here with Tim, William’s dog!

Above: By the 1980s the company's distinctive livery was evolving and now

featured the Eddie Stobart name large on the trailers and chevrons on the

front bumper.

Left: The company’s present-day intricate and eye-catching livery

�

40 SCENE SCANIA

with William joining the firm in 1979.“I was fortunate to arrive at an especially exciting time when the

business was going for growth,”William recalls. “Thebreakthrough came in the early ’80s when we began working forMetal Box, the manufacturer of food and beer cans.This took usinto all the major food companies and breweries and certainly gotus noticed.

“Our reputation for customer service stood us in good stead andthe company consequently expanded rapidly. In time, it led to usworking directly for Coca Cola, Nestlé and a number of otherhousehold-name producers of tinned goods, which further fuelledour growth – it’s true to say the humble tin can has played a bigpart in our success!”

As the Stobart bandwagon rolled relentlessly forward, theindustry sat up and paid attention too.This writer recalls his first

encounter with the firm back in 1985 when, as a fledging PRofficer, he spent a night at the Carlisle Crest Hotel ahead of ameeting with Scania’s Cumbrian dealer, Graham Commercials.Eddie Stobart’s premises were situated near the hotel and I awokein the night to the sound of numerous trucks leaving the yard.Thefollowing morning, Graham’s founder, the late George Graham,nodded in response to my enquiries, saying: “Yes, Eddie Stobart –they’re going places alright, definitely one to watch.”

And George was right. Not long after, the now defunct TRUCKmagazine trumpeted the headline, “Who will stop Stobart?”Theanswer, as we all now know, was nobody.

PUBLIC SUCCESSIn parallel to the firm’s unbridled ascendancy, another phenomenawas occurring. Eddie Stobart Limited was succeeding in doingsomething the rest of the industry had been trying to do for years;they were making the public love the lorry.Well, Stobart lorries,at least.

“It’s funny really, isn’t it?” says William Stobart. “We didn’t havea plan as such, but I believe it goes right back to my father. He hadfive or six drivers and they all shared his passion for their trucks.He imprinted into me at the age of seven or eight that trucksshould always be kept clean in order to project the best possibleimage. He did just that – and our vehicles certainly stood out.

Later on, the company found itself competing with Robson’s ofCarlisle, whose trucks carried the “Border” name.With monikerssuch as Border Warrior, Border Patriot and Border Banshee, itsvehicles were known eye-catchers.

“Our answer was to introduce girls’ names to our trucks,”explains William. “Twiggy came first, followed by Suzi Quattroand Dolly Parton! Today, it’s an institution and has undoubtedlycontributed greatly to our public image.

“The other thing I would say in terms of image and visibility is

My day offBeing a key player in a 5,000-strong

organisation undoubtedly has its

demands, but on the assumption

that William Stobart finds the odd

moment or two to take off, we asked

how he spends his leisure time.

Unsurprisingly, he passed on our

suggestion that he is perhaps a

Stobart spotter, and offered us

something rather different instead:

“When we acquired James Irlam, we inherited its polo team,”

he says. “I now play myself, although I only compete in what

are known as ‘low goal’ games, rather than the more

challenging ‘high goal’ events. I’ve got two ponies, it’s an

exhilarating sport – and I really enjoy it.”

that we were among the first to use curtainsiders.We ran our nameall the way along the side of them and that, together with our useof traditional colours, really made them stand out. Eventually, wegot noticed by people like Sir Terry Wogan and the Sunday Times,both of whom picked up on the Stobart name. All these factorsplayed a part in helping lift us to where we are at now.”

Today, there is far more to the Stobart story than just trucks.Over the past decade the company has become a major multi-modal logistics player.With interests in road, rail, sea and air, asubstantial proportion of the firm’s development has come by wayof acquisition. It has been a journey which has seen a Cumbriansole trader ultimately transform into Stobart Group plc, a majorLondon Stock Exchange-listed enterprise.

So where will the firm go from here? According to WilliamStobart, it will be more of the same; from full contractmanagement, logistics and distribution services across all modes oftransport, right the way through to everyday general haulage,Stobart Group does it all.

“I think the biggest changes will come in the way in which weoperate – there will be far more focus on sustainability,” he says.“For example, I believe food in future will carry information oncarbon footprint on packaging, so we are exploring ways ofbenefiting our customers by lowering our impact on theenvironment. In conjunction with this, we will continue to developour air, sea and rail operations in order to offer the best possiblesolution for all situations.”

To me, furiously scribbling notes, it’s a massively complexcommitment, but one which William Stobart appears to take in hisstride. As he continues to outline a clear, uncluttered vision of thefuture, I can’t help hearing distant echoes of that old TRUCKmagazine headline: Just who will stop Stobart?

But despite my best efforts to come up with a feasiblesuggestion, not a single name springs to mind.

In addition to its road haulage operations, Stobart Group has

three key divisions; Stobart Ports, Stobart Rail and Stobart Air.

All are constantly developing and evolving.

Stobart PortsStobart Ports operates both inland and waterway ports.

Located in

Widnes, the

company’s

inland port is a

well-established

200-acre site

known as the

Mersey

Multimodal

Gateway (3MG).

The facility

handles 120,000

containers a year and provides secure storage for 6,000

containers. Nearby, the company’s soon-to-be-developed

Mersey Gateway Port is destined to become an in-bound

freight facility with links to road, rail and waterways.

Stobart RailStobart Rail’s

Infrastructure

Engineering division is

a major player in rail

and transport-related

civil engineering works,

handling everything

from geotechnical

surveys to earthworks to bridge replacements. The company’s

Rail Freight division operates nationally and internationally and

provides both dedicated and multi-user services.

Stobart AirStobart Air owns two airports; Carlisle Lake District Airport and

Southend Airport. In addition to representing a major

development opportunity serving visitors to the Lakes, the

North West and the Scottish

Borders, Carlisle will also

become home to a new cross-

dock and warehousing facility

for Eddie Stobart Limited.

Planning permission has been

granted for extension to the

runway and new terminal at

Southend Airport, a long-

established facility serving the

South East. A new railway station is currently being developed

in order to provide a fast frequent service to the 2012

Olympics site, Docklands, Canary Wharf and London’s

Liverpool Street station.

An all-encompassing service

�

SCENE SCANIA 41

ILLUM

42 SCENE SCANIA

INATINGTHE STARS

An award-winning performance where there’s no room for error

Do you like a challenge? If so, here’s onefor you:What does the racy New York soapopera, Sex And The City have in common

with Flora Thompson’s childhood memoir,Lark Rise to Candleford? Or, for that matter,Desperate Romantics, a drama set inPre-Raphaelite times, with the puppet sitcom, WeAre Mongrels? Or Oscar-winning EmmaThompson’s Nanny McPhee with Sex & Drugs &Rock & Roll, the tale of the life and times ofdeceased pop star Ian Dury?

If a light bulb has gone on in your mind, it couldbe because you’ve made exactly the right

connection. And just in case it didn’t, here’s theanswer:The link is ARRI Lighting Rental Limited,the specialist film and TV lighting firm which for thepast quarter of a century has been literally puttingthe stars in the spotlight.

With a list of credits longer than those of half oftoday’s top actors and actresses put together, ARRILighting Rental is one of the biggest names in theindustry.The firm is also a major Scania operatorand has recently taken a total of 43 trucks –including a number of non-Scania mid/lightweights– on a special one-stop, all-inclusive contract hiredeal with Scania (Great Britain) Limited.

SCENE SCANIA 43

�

To find out more about ARRI LightingRental and its unique operation, SceneScania was recently invited to thecompany’s HQ in Uxbridge, Middlesexfor an exclusive behind-the-scenes glimpseinto the world of the movies and TV. As wesoon learnt, this is a domain where justabout anything is possible – providing theproducers have got the finance and theright equipment suppliers behind them,that is…

“We’re in the business of providingpower and light to film and TV sets, whenand wherever our customers need it, it’s assimple as that,” says ARRI LightingRental’s Managing Director,TommyMoran. “But – and it’s a big but – there isabsolutely no room for error in ourbusiness.We not only need to be where weare supposed to be, bang on time and withprecisely the equipment that’s beenspecified, we have to be.

“That’s because when you consider thetotal cost of getting everyone – which canoften include some very expensive actors –and all the kit to the right place at the righttime for a major shoot, the amount ofmoney at stake in film and TV production “I love it. It’s not a job for everyone, but it suits me down to the ground,” says Driver Technician Steve Casey

44 SCENE SCANIA

example, we were involved in theproduction of Green Zone, which was shotin Morocco.That involved 16 weeks awayfrom home in remote locations for ourcore team, so we had to know in advancewhere we could find anything we mightpossibly need.”

To cover its needs the firm relies on apool of Driver Technicians, which itemploys on a freelance basis depending onthe task in hand and its duration. Manyhave been with ARRI Lighting Rental formany years and know the routine well.

Among them is Driver Technician SteveCasey, who we found carefully marking upand stowing gear in his truck in preparationfor his latest tour of duty – six months onlocation in London. “It’s a local one, for achange – not that that makes a difference interms of my planning; having everythingquickly and easily accessible is what’simportant here,” says Steve.

“Generally speaking, the job takes meaway a lot. Last year, for example, I wasin South Africa,Wales, Northern Ireland, allover – I only managed to spend abouta week at home! But I love it. It’s not ajob for everyone, but it suits me down tothe ground.

“It’s essential that our Driver Technicians

are well organised,” confirms SandroLeone. “Gaffers are notoriously impatient;they want things instantly and don’t sufferfools gladly.Woe betide any DriverTechnician who holds up a shootrummaging around for a cable in the backof his truck!

“Our Transport Manager, KeithRichens is responsible for running theteam day-to-day and holds regularinformation sessions and seminars toensure everyone’s kept up to speed as towhat’s expected of them.With the DriverTechnicians we have, it’s a system whichworks well for us.”

Life on the film set means the DriverTechnicians sometimes get close to thestars. But no-one at ARRI LightingRental is spilling the beans in terms ofcelebrity gossip.

“Let’s just say some people are easier towork with than others,” says TommyMoran. “One thing I can tell you, though,is that two of our Driver Technicians’particular favourites are Pirates of theCaribbean leading lady Kiera Knightleyand Sexy Beast’s Ray Winstone.

“Very pleasant people to deal with. Butthen again, we are helping put their namesin lights, aren’t we?!”

SCENE SCANIA 45

can be quite staggering. Any delaysinvariably result in rapidly spiralling costs.For a support service such as ours, we justcannot afford to keep people waiting. It’ssimply a non-starter; to the point wherewe even have to insure against late arrival– the numbers really are that big.

“That is why the reliability of our fleet isan essential factor for us.We have operatedScania trucks for some time, so are wellaware of the quality of the product and theaftersales support which comes with it.But we also need to be able to depend onan absolutely first-class quality backup forevery vehicle in our fleet including, in ourlatest order, the mid-weights and vans.

“The fact that Scania was able to handleit all, both nationally and internationally,was the deal-clincher here. As well asvehicle supply and all liaison with bodybuilders, the package Scania providedeven included a 15-minute guaranteedresponse time from Scania Truck Rental inthe event of a failure of any of our vehiclesfrom 7.5 to 26-tonnes – that’s just the kindof service we were looking for.”

TYPICAL JOBWe asked what constitutes a typical job forARRI Lighting Rental. It turns out there’sno such thing, as each job has its own veryspecific set of requirements and demands.From a single vehicle, one-day shoot in alocal TV studio to having several vehiclesaway for months on set of a major movieproduction, ARRI Lighting Rental isgeared up to take it all in its stride.

When it comes to determining the assetsrequired for a particular assignment, adetailed recce is always the first part of theprocess, as the firm’s Lighting ServicesManager, Sandro Leone, explains:

“We start off by talking to the Gaffer,that’s the head of the electrical departmentin movie industry jargon, whose role is toexecute the programme’s lighting plan.From the Gaffer’s list of requirements, wework out the equipment that’s needed;generator sets, lights and any ancillary kit,such as booms or gantries.We then cross-reference with the Director ofPhotography, Gaffer and ProductionManager, the point being to ensure we’vegot all the angles covered.

“Then there’s the location to check out.It’s essential that we know where we’regoing, not just in terms of logistics but alsowith regard to any support services wemade need along the way. Last year, for �

MEN’S T-SHIRT

£14.50*

Scania Truck Gear is available exclusivelyfrom your local Scania dealer or online atwww.scania.co.uk/webshop*Exclusive of VAT.

SCANIATRUCK GEAR

SCENE SCANIA 47

AS YOUNG EUROPEAN TRUCK DRIVER RETURNS

This year’s UK Final proved that road safety competitionsdon’t have to be boring!

More than 5,000 people can’t be wrong,can they? Well, in our humble opinion, no, theycan’t – especially as we’re talking here about the

crowd that thronged to the Heritage Motor Centre,Gaydon,Warwickshire one hot summer’s day to witnessthe UK Final ofYoung European Truck Driver 2010.

Since its launch in 2003,Young European Truck Driverhas captured the imagination of young drivers

throughout Europe.The initial idea was prompted byan ambitious European Union target launched at theturn of the century to reduce fatalities on Europe’sroads by 50 percent by 2010. In the event, a 28 percentreduction was achieved between 2001 and 2008, whichsets Europe on course for a projected one thirdreduction within the target period – not enough, ofcourse, but a positive start nonetheless. �

Against this background, Scania decidedto redouble its contribution to help makeour roads safer andYoung European TruckDriver is now part of a worldwide initiativeknown as Scania Driver Competitions.From Birmingham to Brisbane andRomford to Rio, some 45,000 youngdrivers around the globe are expected toparticipate in Scania events designed touplift standards of safety and driving onthe world’s roads during 2010.

In launching the programme, Scania’sPresident and CEO Leif Östling said,“The driver is the single most importantfactor for economy, environment andsafety. Skilled and committed driverswill deliver energy efficient transport,reduce emissions and contribute towardssafer roads.

“We set up the Scania DriverCompetitions initiative to put the spotlighton the drivers, celebrate their skills andhighlight their valuable contribution tosociety. By this we aim to raise driverstatus and attract more young people intothe profession.”

While commercial vehicle drivingcompetitions are very much a part of theUK transport industry scene, with manyoperators running their own events, it isalso true to say that these are mostly heldaway from the public view. In planning theUK-arm of this year’sYoung EuropeanTruck Driver, Scania (Great Britain)Limited decided to address this by makingthe event a key part of its newlyintroduced Stay SafeWith Scaniacampaign (see overleaf) – which itself is

part of a larger entity known as You andMe (see panel on page 53).

PUBLIC CELEBRATION“Experience from previousYoungEuropean Truck Driver competitions hasshown the levels of skill, dedication andcommitment among younger drivers to beexceptional,” comments Hans-ChristerHolgersson, Managing Director for Scania(Great Britain) Limited. “But all too often,this success – by which I mean the factthat commercial vehicle drivers areprofessional experts in their field – is notshared or celebrated with the outsideworld.We therefore decided to address thisby creating a driving event in the UK, thelike of which has never been seen before.”

The result was Tonnes of Fun, as the UK

48 SCENE SCANIA

�

Scania (Great Britain) LimitedManaging DirectorHans-Christer Holgerssoncongratulates the contestants

A jubilant Colin McKeag hoists the winner’s trophy aloft

Complex manoeuvres: the judgesexplain the task in hand

Knock the King 1: the crowd holds its breathas the red pin tumbles over

SCENE SCANIA 49

Roll of honourThe 2010 UK Final of Young European Truck Driver finalists

A full list of those who competed, with the six who made it through to the final partof the competition highlighted, is as follows:

Finalist EmployerColin McKeag of Carrowdore, Co. Down M. K. Transport (NI) LimitedWilliam Herron of Dromore, Co. Down W. J. Herron TransportGeorge Kirk of Newton Stewart, Wigtownshire M. V. H. ServicesCalvin Friedman of Sittingbourne, Kent JBS HaulageSimon Dickson of Stranraer, Wigtownshire GistToby Whitford of Raunds, Northants T. P. Whitford TransportSarah Nixon of Cockermouth, Cumbria Duncan Hill LimitedMike Ponsonby of Rugely, Staffs M. A. Ponsonby LimitedMatthew Kavanagh of Turvey, Beds TNT ExpressKaren Fotheringham of Strood, Kent Norbert DentressangleCarl Jones of Tipton, West Midlands A. F. BlakemorePaul Colley of Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands Hoyer UK

Knock the King 2: That’s the way to do it! The 12 finalists pose for one for the album

A family atmosphereas guests enjoy thetruck show

Final of the 2010 Young European TruckDriver competition came to be known.Organised as a family fun day out at theHeritage Motor Centre, one of thecountry’s leading automotive museums, alengthy list of attractions to operatealongside the competition itself wasassembled. From magicians to a customtruck display, including four vehiclesbelonging to Svempa, the Swedish truckcustomising king, to TV celebritypresenters and even free ice cream, thisevent would have it all!

“Our objective was to put on a showthat would be, in a word, unmissable,” saysChris Love, Brand & CommunicationsManager for Scania (Great Britain)Limited. “Complimentary tickets weredistributed online and via a telephonehotline, and from the outset the lines werejammed.Within just a few days ourallocation was gone, so all we had left tohope for was the weather, which for oncedid not disappoint – in fact, it turned outto be ‘phew, what a scorcher’ and abarbeque summer all rolled into one!”

There was one additional concern raisedby the popularity of the event:What if theroads around Gaydon became cloggedwith traffic arriving at the site? That couldimpact upon the eco-drive, a key elementin the competition held on a testing localroad route.

“We therefore decided to stage the eventover two days,” explains Chris Love. “Dayone would see a theory test followed by aneco-drive on the public highway beforethe crowds arrived for day two, whichwould feature manoeuvring, safetyinspections, distance judging and thegrand afternoon final.”

SCANIA ONBOARDTo determine just how well each finalistperformed during the eco-drive, theirprogress was measured and monitoredevery step of the way by Scania OnBoard,Scania’s own computerised fleetmanagement system which analyses driverand vehicle performance down to thefinest detail. All manoeuvring and distancejudging was measured to the millimetre byan independent panel of adjudicators.

The day’s finalists comprised the 11highest scoring contestants in an onlinequalification organised by Scania (GreatBritain) Limited earlier in the year, plusWilliam Herron from County Down,Northern Ireland, who automatically

50 SCENE SCANIA

�

The new England football teamcoach makes its grand entrancewith a VIP escort

Drivers of allages testedtheir skillson the radiocontrolledtruckmanoeuvringcourse

Eddie Stobartrevs up andputs on a show

It was bloominglovely for thisface painted pair

SCENE SCANIA 51

Stay safe with ScaniaOne of the recurring themes for Scania is safety, both interms of the vehicles it builds andthrough its support of road safety eventssuch as Young European Truck Driver.

In fact, safety has been a high priorityfor Scania for much of its long history. Asearly as the mid-20th century thecompany was conducting its own impacttrials and was instrumental informulating the rigorous Swedish cabstrength test, still the world’s toughestand most demanding today.

This has led to safety considerations becoming part of the

Scania corporate culture. Every year, approximately fourpercent of the company’s turnover isreinvested into research and development,much of which is directly safety-related.When it comes to staying safe on the

road, Scania believes that nobody is moreimportant than the driver. Therefore, inorder to ensure his or her safety and thatof other road users is maximised at alltimes, Scania devotes considerable time,effort and resources to its driverdevelopment initiatives – of which Young

European Truck Driver is the showcase event.

Michelin’sracing carsimulator, a bigboy's toy if everthere was one!

Like the sun, thecustomisers shoneall day long!

Free karting all day – a major draw forchildren of all ages

Tonnes of fun forall the family!

Crowd puller: Adam Crouch’sspectacular wrecker

Free icecream allround!

Celebrity presenters Vicki Butler-Henderson and Tiff Needell

qualified as the previous holder of theYoungUK Truck Driver title.

Once the theory test, eco-drive,manoeuvring and distance judging had beencompleted, the 12 finalists faced a nerve-wracking wait to see which six of themwould progress to the afternoon’s grandfinal event, where the titleYoung UK TruckDriver 2010 would be decided.

TENSIONIn describing the tension,William Herronspoke for all: “I’m just really nervous,” hesaid. “Despite having entered twice before,and winning last time around, it doesn’t getany easier.You still have to perform at yourabsolute best to stand a chance ofprogressing to the final round and I knowthat everyone has tried their hardest. All wewant now is to hear that we’ve made itthrough. It’s only a short wait while the finalscores are calculated, but it’s unbearable –every minute seems like an hour!”

In the event,William together with the fivedrivers highlighted in the panel on page 49,made the cut.Their relief was palpable, aswas the disappointment of those who didnot succeed this time.

The afternoon’s event was a game of twohalves: Part one involved a high precisionmanoeuvring exercise known as ‘Knock theKing’. Here, contestants had to use theirvehicles to knock down red posts whichwere strategically positioned between two‘penalty’ blue posts to increase the difficulty.Points were scored for tipping over the red,with deductions made for every blueknocked over. After concluding with afurther judgment feat, which involvedstopping the truck’s front bumper over thebull’s-eye of a target on the ground, thesecond exercise came into play.

Entitled, ‘Combo’ this test incorporated anumber of elements – vehicle widthjudgment, wheel positioning and reversing –all of which were scrutinised in minutedetail by the adjudicators to enable themrank the contestants. As if all that wasn’tenough, each exercise was against theclock and performed in front of thegrandstand crowd.

52 SCENE SCANIA

Following an afternoon of extremetension and hard fought competition, theoverall victor was announced as ColinMcKeag. Like William Herron, who thistime finished third closely behind runner-up George Kirk, Colin is from CountyDown. “There must be something in thewater,” he exclaimed in delight!. Andperhaps there is, as in finishing first ColinMcKeag demonstrated that his eco-driving,manoeuvring, safety and judgment skillsare the best in the land.

The title ofYoung UK Truck Driver2010 won Colin a cash prize of £1,000 andthe opportunity to represent the UK at thecompetition’s European Final in Swedenover the weekend of 8/9 October.There, hewill compete against fellow winners from24 other participating European nations forthe competition’s top prize of a brand newScania R-series truck, the InternationalTruck of theYear, valued at 100,000 Euros.

OVER THE MOON“I’m over the moon, this was totallyunexpected,” he added. “When they readout my name, I thought ‘no way’, but thereyou go – it just shows that hard work, effortand concentration can pay off! I can’t tellyou how much I’m now looking forward totravelling to Sweden to fight for the truck!”As runner-up and second runner-up,George and William will also travel toSweden in October to provide support forColin at the European Final.“I amabsolutely delighted for Colin, who I amsure will do the UK proud at thecompetition’s grand final in Sweden,”comments Hans-Christer Holgersson,Managing Director of Scania (GreatBritain) Limited. “This is the fourth timewe have run theYoung European TruckDriver event and competition this year hasbeen fiercer than ever. Our contestantswere all hungry for the top prize and thatmade for a great and hard fought contest.So my congratulations go to all our finalists– just reaching the final was a majorachievement in its own right – and I nowwish Colin every success when he travels toSweden to compete for the truck!” �

Complementaryaccess to theHeritage MotorCentre’s museum wasanother popularattraction on the day

SCENE SCANIA 53

You and MeMaking its debut at the 2010 UK Final of

Young European Truck Driver was ‘You

and Me’, a far reaching

programme designed to

demonstrate that Scania is

an organisation which

takes its corporate

responsibilities seriously.

As time goes by, You

and Me will seek to engage stakeholders

ranging from politicians and influencers to

the general public and other interest

groups, in order to communicate the

importance of the role the transport

industry plays within society today.

As such, You and Me is set to provide an

important platform and

focus for a number of key

Scania activities, including

road safety, the

environment, good

corporate citizenship, staff

relations and social

responsibility, including charitable work.

Scene Scania will bring you more on

this innovative new initiative as You and

Me continues to develop over the coming

months and years

One for the album:Tiff, Vicki and friends

The Dark Diamondmakes it UK public debut

Fun in the sun: A greatdisplay and a great day out

Meet the Michelin man

'Smile please' The girls strike a pose forStephen the Snapper

That freeice creamproves ahit withone youngvisitor

Come in number 4, your caraciture is up!

54 SCENE SCANIA

HEAD TO HEADJONAS HOFSTEDT

From 31 December 2013, all new commercial vehicles sold within the EuropeanUnion and some neighbouring countries will be required to comply

with Euro 6.The standard comes in one year earlier for new models.To discover what this new emissions standard holds in store for the transport

industry in particular and society in general, we called uponJONAS HOFSTEDT, Scania’s Senior Vice President Powertrain Development.

Scene Scania: Firstly, how have Euro standardscontributed to a reduction in emissions to date?Jonas Hofstedt: The European Commission has mapped theharmful emissions from road transport over the past 40 years or so.Despite a growth in the vehicle population and the amount oftransport work carried out, due to progressively tougher standardsthe total emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulates arenow around 70 percent lower than in 1990.This trend willcontinue in pace with the phasing-out of old vehicles.With Euro 4and Euro 5 vehicles dominating the rolling fleet, the trend willcontinue to a reduction of around 75 percent.

Technical progress has thus enabled harmful emissions fromroad transport to decrease despite a continuous increase in thenumber of vehicles and the amount of goods transported. In anutshell, that is why Euro 6 is now on the way!

SS:What does Euro 6 specifically set out to achieve?JH: The explicit objective of Euro 6 for the legislators is toreduce emissions further, but not to restrict the free movement ofgoods and people – it is therefore intended to be a practical andworkable solution.

SS:What challenges does Euro 6 present for commercialvehicle manufacturers?JH:We need to find ways of reducing emissions of NOx by 80percent and of particulates by more than 70 percent, compared tothe already low Euro 5 levels. In addition to filtering off andweighing them, particles will also be counted for the first time, amove which forces manufacturers to use specific technology. Afurther demand is a durability requirement, extending to 700,000kilometres or seven years, for the emission control equipment onheavy vehicles.

SS: How will this be achieved?JH: Meeting the new standard will require technologicaldevelopments and redesign in a number of areas:

Firstly, further progress will need to be made on the design ofengine management systems.This includes controlling fuelinjection, injection timing, turbocharging and EGR, (Exhaust GasRecirculation). A particulate filter will also be required and SCR(Selective Catalytic Reduction) employed to keep exhausttemperatures in check under all conditions.

Exhaust heat management is another important consideration, asexhaust gas temperatures must be kept up all the way to thetailpipe for the aftertreatment system to function optimally.

We will also need to monitor emissions closely to ensure theircompliance over time.This will be achieved by way of a ‘closed-loop’ control system which will continually scrutinise exhaustgas quality.

Cabs and chassis will have to be redesigned to accommodate thehigh rates of airflow required to secure engine cooling capacity.

There will also be extensive integration of all electronics systemson the vehicle to ensure consistent performance and durability.

SS:Will there be a fuel consumption penalty with Euro 6?JH: The stricter Euro 6 limits will have an adverse effect, not onlyon fuel consumption but also on emissions of greenhouse gases asevery litre of diesel fuel burnt liberates approximately 2.7kilogrammes of carbon dioxide. A fuel consumption increase oftwo to four percent is likely, although this can be offset to someextent through gradual improvements in areas like aerodynamics,rolling resistance, powertrain optimisation and driver support.

This in turn means that once the economy recovers and goodsmovements resume to the full, the political targets for carbondioxide reduction will be jeopardised. �

SCENE SCANIA 55

SS:What can be done to reduce the impact of Euro 6 on theemission of greenhouse gases?JH: The 2.7 kilogrammes of carbon dioxide released per litreof diesel fuel consumed is a constant which has nothing to do withEuro 6 or any other form of emissions control; it is purely afunction of combustion.We therefore have to look elsewherefor solutions.

Goods and passenger transport currently accounts for around50 percent of the emissions of greenhouse gases from road traffic,the remaining 50 percent stem from passenger cars.

There is plenty of capacity to move passengers with today’sbus population, yet bus and coach traffic only accounts for amarginal share of the total emissions. Making the bus a moreattractive alternative to car transport therefore holds great potentialfor reducing carbon dioxide emissions per passenger-kilometretravelled.

In terms of goods transport, technical developments and changesin legislation have made it possible to reduce carbon dioxideemissions per tonne-kilometre by 50 percent between 1970 and2000 in the Scandinavian countries, an act that could readily befollowed by other countries if desired.

It all boils down to transport efficiency – making sure thatevery vehicle carries out as much useful work as possible while onthe road.

SS: How has Scania been preparing for the future andEuro 6?JH: Over the past couple of decades, Scania has stronglyreinforced its in-house competence in electronics, combustion and

fuel injection technology. Our new engine platform, introduced forinline engines in 2007 and more recently on the new V8, formspart of this programme.We also recently started to produce fuelinjection equipment under our own auspices in Sweden. All theseare strategic moves which enable us to finely optimise vehicleperformance and increase flexibility, quality and service support.

In conjunction with the development of the new R-series,airflow and aerodynamics received attention in preparation forEuro 6.The cab and chassis have been redesigned at the front toaccommodate a larger radiator and boost airflow through theengine compartment, while aerodynamics refinements made theexterior more slippery.

Onboard computing capacity was boosted and new electronicsand ergonomics enhancements provide further support to help thedriver do a better job, which will contribute on the bottom line andto some extent balance the additional costs. Solutions for Euro 6will be put in place as soon as there is demand from customers.

SS: Overall, how significant a step do you consider Euro 6to be?JH: If the new legislation has the desired effect on harmfulemissions, this will be a significant step for society. However, weneed to take a more holistic view when assessing the full effects of

Scania’s new Euro 6-ready V8 line-up takes a bow

56 SCENE SCANIA

Euro 6, as cost must also be considered.The purchase price of Euro 6 vehicles will go up sharply.

Engine development now accounts for at least 50 percent of theresearch and development budget for most manufacturers.Thebasic cost for Euro 6 engines and related components willprobably double compared to Euro 3.

Higher maintenance costs will also add to the burden fortransport operators.This is due to the amount of additional high-tech equipment and sophisticated engineering needed to conformto all aspects of the legislation.

SS: Could more be done to help operators while protectingthe environment for future generations?JH:Yes, by taking a broader view, I am sure it could. Euro 6 isdesirable in several ways, but it will also have negative effects thatwe now have the opportunity to mitigate. Making the transportsystem more efficient is an attractive proposition that appeals tocommon sense.We think that massive efforts should be made in anumber of areas.

For example, we should make better use of each vehicle’stransport capacity, with an ambition to load fully both ways

wherever possible. More efficient vehicles – both in terms ofaerodynamic aids and with vehicles' length and weight optimisedfor their task – would also be desirable.

We should also facilitate the transition to renewable fuels, bothtechnologically and with regard to availability, and improve theinfrastructure from a highway and a traffic guidance point-of-view.

SS: And how about from the point-of-view of the driver?JH: Scania has long considered the driver to be a key playerin terms of operational efficiency.We therefore believe their statusand competence should continue to be further promotedand enhanced by way of professional training and on-boardsupport aids.

SS: How would you summarise the challenges that lieahead?JH: Some of the steps that need to be taken are tried-and-provenand just need foresighted decisions to come to fruition, othersrequire more development to mature. As we see it, Euro 6certainly presents a range of stimulating challenges – both forsociety as well as for us manufacturers.

8

6

4

2

0

00.020.050.100.150.20

NOx [g/kWh]

Particulate Matter [g/kWh]

Euro 1 1992

Euro 2 1996

Euro 3 2001

Euro 4 2005

Euro 5 2008

Euro 6 2013

GOING DOWN: How Euro standards have progressively driven down emissions over the years

�

SCENE SCANIA 57

The Best by Scania

Birds maintain an uncompromisingly highlevel of service. Efficient, reliable vehiclesare key to this, which is why our 140 strongtractor fleet is 90% Scania. We buy thembecause they are high quality

Robin DaviesChief Executive

Birds

“”

GREENDAY’SIt was a headline-writer’s dreamcome true the day Scania’s firstEuro 5 coach made its maiden voyage

OK, perhaps it’s not quite in the league of some of TheSun’s more memorable moments but we werenonetheless pretty pleased when it was announced

that the group Greenday would be the first to use the newScania coach belonging to Phoenix Bussing, the band-bus armof Romsey Coaches Limited.

That’s because this particular vehicle happened to be thevery first Euro 5 Scania coach delivered in the UK – and in thesimplistic mind of Scene Scania’s august editor, Greendaytherefore ticked all the right boxes. Put aside any small detailssuch as the band being an all-American punk-rock outfit with afanbase known as The Idiot Club and titles like 21st CenturyBreakdown to their credit, “To Romsey – at the double!” camethe cry from our dear leader’s office. So without further ado,we hastened our way onwards and southwards to catch up withPhoenix Bussing and the man behind it, Simon Budden.

As coaching operations go, Phoenix Bussing has to be one ofthe more esoteric. For a start, a substantial proportion of thefleet’s mileage is done at night, so its vehicles aren’t generallyseen out and about as much as those of other 25-vehicle strongcoaching firms. And if you do happen to spot one, the blackedout windows create an air of mystery which might just makeyou wondering who’s inside.What’s more, despite beingregular visitors to every leading UK and European musicvenue, Phoenix Bussing vehicles rarely frequent the coach park– they will more than likely be tucked around the backsomewhere near the stage door.

“The purpose of Phoenix Bussing is to enable road crewsand, sometimes, the band members themselves, to travelbetween venues as comfortably and efficiently as possible,”explains Simon Budden. “But forget the glamour and glitz ofshow business; ours is very much a functional service withvehicles built and operated for purpose.”

It was way back in 1977 that a youthful Simon Budden firstmade contact with the music scene.That was when Scottishduo Gallagher & Lyle took to the road to promote their newalbum, Love On The Airways. Since then, he has transformedthe movement of band personnel into an art form of its own.

“The Gallagher & Lyle job preceded Phoenix Bussing,” herecalls. “But nonetheless, what we did for them was ground-breaking at the time:We gave them a coach with four tables!The reaction was very positive indeed, which I remembernoting with interest. As the years rolled by, touring by the big-name bands became more and more popular and the demandfor coaches increased accordingly. I came to realise there was abusiness here, and in 1988 Phoenix Bussing was started.

“We began with four Scania coaches, all equipped withpurpose-built Jonckheere sleeper bodies.These were certainly

60 SCENE SCANIA

�

GREEN DAYS

SCENE SCANIA 61

A sleek exterior, an even sleeker interior: Phoenix Bussing’s new coach looks like an Scania Irizar Century from the outside, but inside leather seating areas

and a fully equipped galley make touring a pleasure for road crews

62 SCENE SCANIA

in their day, comfortable, high quality machines. Before long thebookings were coming in. Cliff Richard was among the first – nomore Summer Holidays in a Routemaster for him! – and he is stillamong our customers today.”

WHO’S WHOA glance through the client list on the Phoenix Bussing websitereads like a Who’sWho of the music industry from the past 20years. From Springsteen to the Sugababes, Simon Budden’s firmhas carried them all. And just as the music has moved on, so havethe vehicles.

The latest batch of four, including the vehicle destined to carryGreenday, are based on triaxle Scania chassis with 480horsepower Euro 5 Scania engines with EGR (Exhaust GasRecirculation). Each was delivered with an Irizar Centurybody shell.

“We buy all our vehicles asshell-only as we fit them outand equip them ourselves,”explains Simon Budden. “Infact, this is an integral part ofour business today. We employa specialist team of 15, whobetween them have all the skillswe need – carpenters,electricians, trimmers, paintsprayers and so on.This enablesus to build each vehicle in-house to the exact specificationwe need in order to serve ourclients in the best possible way.Although we transport onlybands ourselves, we also take onother work for third parties,such as equipping vehicles forfootball teams, or the occasional luxury horsebox.”

Typically, fitting out a band bus with bunks, a lounge area,kitchenette and washroom takes the team eight weeks, with thecomplexity of the work meaning that Ministry certification isrequired in every case.While the build process begins withcomputer aided design, Simon Budden is quick to point out thatexperience is the leading definer of specification, with technicalexpertise and quality assurance coming from having a multi-skilled workforce on tap.

“Our carpenters are also drivers, so they see things from bothperspectives,” says Simon Budden. “They really understand lifeon the road and therefore appreciate what our clients will belooking for. Also, many of our people have been with us a longtime – two of our key managers started with us as work experienceboys.That’s important too as it gives us continuity and even

greater in-house knowledge.”As our photographs confirm, there’s no doubting the finished

product is exceptional. “Touring is a gruelling occupation, soproviding the best possible creature-comforts for bands andtheir crews between gigs is what we set out to achieve,” saysSimon Budden.

That philosophy also percolates through to the operational sideof Phoenix Bussing’s business. “Here, everything needs to go assmoothly as possible,” says Simon Budden. “You certainly don’twant star performers on a vehicle that breaks down on the hardshoulder. In a nutshell, that’s why we go for Scania – reliability,quality and performance, plus a full international backup serviceavailable round-the-clock just in case help is ever needed.

“In terms of getting the job done, utilisation is the key.Unfortunately, touring is not about just making a journey fromA to B, stopping to play a few concerts along the way.The

whole programme is basedaround the availability ofconcert halls, festival timings,the deals the promoters havedone and so on. Geographicalconvenience, I’m afraid, simplygoes out of the window!

“Over the past few years,our world has gone festival-crazy, driven largely by musicsharing which meansmusicians now have to tourmore to make their money. Soimagine, for example, you havea band doing a Euro-tour.They might start off with acouple of shows over herebefore moving to thecontinent. A few weeks later it’s

festival time in the UK, so back they come.Then the continentalfestival season kicks in, so it’s over the water again.That’s the wayit goes today.

“For a major festival such as Glastonbury, we might have up to15 vehicles moving different bands in and out. A continental eventcan see five coaches travelling to, say, Germany, then comingstraight back again a day or two later. Fitting everything can bequite a challenge, but for us, that’s the job.”

And do the customers appreciate the service? From what wehave discovered, we suspect they do – for the Phoenix Bussingwebsite opens with a musical intro from no less a supergroup thanStatus Quo, who have generously provided a few appropriate barsto sum up Phoenix Bussing’s approach.We’re sure you will knowthe tune:

“Whatever you want,Whatever you like,Whatever you say…”

SCENE SCANIA 63

�

“You certainly don’t want star performers on a vehicle that breaks down on the

hard shoulder. In a nutshell, that’s why we go for Scania – reliability, quality and

performance, plus a full international backup service available round-the-clock

just in case help is ever needed.”

Simon Budden

64 SCENE SCANIA

PAPER TIGERA ferocious drive for efficiency has taken THE DELIVERY CO.

to the leading edge of technology

Small print aficionados may already

be aware that Scene Scania is printed

on “paper that is manufactured using

ECF (Elemental Chlorine Free) pulps from

sustainable forests and is fully recyclable.”

In case you’ve missed it, that’s what it says

on our masthead on page 2 of every issue.

While that assurance means you can take

it as read that the paper you are holding

right now fully meets all its sustainability

obligations, what it doesn’t tell you is that

it has also reached the printer in good

environmental order too. That’s because

our paper stock is transported to the

printer by The Delivery Co., the

Northampton-based transport specialist

responsible for delivering the products of

PaperlinX Group members, The Robert

Horne Group, The Paper Company and

Howard Smith Paper Group. �

SCENE SCANIA 65

The Delivery Co. wascreated by PaperlinXto provide thewarehousing anddistribution solutionsfor its three UKoperating companies.That was four years ago,a move whichrepresented the first step

along the route to greater transport efficiency, as TheDelivery Co.’s Operational Support Manager Brian Moranexplains:“Following the acquisition of The Buhrmann European

Merchanting Division by PaperlinX, they found themselveswith three entirely separate distribution systems. Today, wehave just one. Although a massive logistical challenge,consolidating our logistics service has enabled us tosignificantly streamline our service and halve the numberof warehouses we operate.”

To put the scale of The Delivery Co.’s business intoperspective, suffice to say that every other pallet of paperdelivered in the UK and Ireland today has been despatchedfrom one of the firm’s two national distribution centres or its27 outbase sites.“It’s a big job and one that calls for an efficient transport

service,” confirms Brian Moran. “Today, our fleet strength

runs to 350 trucks, comprising both artics and rigids.Every day our fleet distributes 2,000 plus tonnes of paper,board and plastics locally from our outbases, with 1,000tonnes having been trunked overnight from our twoNational Distribution Centres.”

The Delivery Co. operates to strict service levels agreed witheach of the three paper merchants for which it works. Toensure on-time delivery, Brian Moran depends upon a reliablefleet: “That’s why Scania today is our preferred supplier,” hesays. “We have benchmarked the product and found it to bethe best. Driver feedback has confirmed our opinion that in amulti-drop environment Scania is the class leader. And froman operational point-of-view, we encounter fewer repair andmaintenance issues and benefit from a strong dealernet andgood fuel returns.”

The latest additions to the fleet are eight groundbreakingScania rigids, all 26-tonners equipped with ‘teardrop’bodywork by Don-Bur. As such, they are the first vehicles oftheir type. And to reinforce their environmental credentials,The Delivery Co. has branded them “Curved to Cut CO2”.

All eight trucks are built on Scania 6x2 chassis featuring 320horsepower Scania Euro 5 engines with Exhaust GasRecirculation (EGR) and Scania Opticruise automated gearselection systems.Five of the chassis are normal-height vehicles, three of

which have been supplied by Scania (Great Britain) Limited’sSouth West region and two by Manchester-based West

66 SCENE SCANIA

Pennine Trucks Limited. The remaining three trucks are low-height chassis delivered by Stowmarket-based Scania dealer,TruckEast Limited.

The low-height chassis are fitted with double-deck teardropbodywork to enable the carriage of mixed loads of paper andplastic sheets, while the normal-height vehicles will be usedprimarily for paper-only loads.

The vehicles, which are based at a total of seven outbasesaround the country, have been supplied on six-year fullcontract hire agreements. These cover all repair andmaintenance of the trucks and their bodywork, including tail-lifts, with work being carried out by the three supplyingScania dealers.

In addition to specifying Scania trucks and teardrop trailers,The Delivery Co. has endeavoured to ensure its new fleet willbe as environmentally-efficient in operation as possible.

“The trucks are fuel-efficient and both they and theirbodywork are aerodynamically-styled to help minimise dragfuel consumption,” says Brian Moran. “Furthermore, the

Ratcliff Palfinger aluminium tail-lifts we have fitted are95 percent recyclable and weare using Vacu-Lug retreadtyres to minimise our overallnew tyre usage.”Put together, it’s an impressive

package and one The Delivery

Co. believes will serve it well. It is also, according to BrianMoran, part of a larger programme which embracesinnovation:

“Whenever we make a purchase of significance, we don’tjust buy off-the-shelf but take stock of what’s out there todo the job in the best possible manner. For example, the320 Scania engine was chosen to combine operatingefficiency with performance at 26-tonnes gross weight. Wewent for Scania Opticruise as it reduces driver fatigue, animportant factor in multi-drop operations such as ours.

“Regarding the bodywork design, we watched thedevelopment of teardrop semi-trailers through the pagesof the trade press and opted for the UK’s first rigid versiononly once we were convinced our operational needs couldbe met without compromise.”

And is the medicine working? “It certainly is,” says BrianMoran. “In total, we cover more than 600,000 miles amonth and make over 3,000 drops a day, over 98 percentof which are on time and in full. I’m delighted to say thenew Scanias and their teardrop bodies have integratedseamlessly into the fleet and are more than pulling theirweight.“Their eye-catching appearance has also attracted

attention from our customers, who appreciate the effortswe have made from an environmental perspective.“And if our customers are happy, then I’m happy too –

you can’t say fairer than that!”

SCENE SCANIA 67

�

ROAD

What’s in your jukebox of all-time favourite

driving tunes? That’s the question we asked

Biglorryblog’s rock-’n’-roller-in-chief,

BRIAN WEATHERLEY – and here’s

68 SCENE SCANIA

ROCK

the six of the best we ended up with

as a result. To add to the fun, we delved into

the Scania archives for an appropriate photograph

to accompany each track

SCENE SCANIA 69

70 SCENE SCANIA

PAPA WAS A ROLLING STONE THE TEMPTATIONS

Who says advertising doesn’t work?When Scania first started offits famous ‘hit song’ advertising campaign it linked the superbphotography of ace-snapper BryanWinstanley with popular songtitles.The one that really stood out for me was of the owner-driver and his Scania 3-series 143V8 Streamline parked on theside of a small country road in Scotland illuminated by the fadingsunlight as he says goodbye to his family. Romantic, who...me? Ihaven’t a clue when the ad first appeared but it’s stuck with mefor all this time. Like the Temptations single, it’s a classic. And for

the record, Papa was a Rolling Stone reached Number 14 in theUK top 20 in Jan 1973.

The quickest way I know to get a handle on

anyone is to look at the CDs in their vehicle. It

can be quite frightening at times. I’ve been

known to turn down a lift on the strength of having

spied a copy of Mamma Mia! in a door pocket.

Clearly the bloke who owned it was a

psychopath...or worse, a fan of musicals. Music on

the road is a bit like humour – it’s all down to

personal taste.

Anyroadup, having given it a bit of thought (and

shamelessly-blitzed Wikipedia for the ‘factoids’)

here’s my list of top driving tunes, in no particular

order. Some you’ll probably agree with, while also

doubtlessly saying: ‘Why on earth hasn’t he

included...?’ If nothing else maybe it will encourage

you to create your own drive-time selection! Only

don’t expect me to like all of yours...especially if

you include Mamma Mia!

In its time, the Scania 143, with its luxuriously-appointed cab andpowerful 14-litre V8 engine, was the truck of choice of many adriver – especially long-distance operators for whom the cab is homefor much of the time. What better vehicle to illustrate the emotionand open-road spirit conjured up by PapaWas A Rolling Stone?

SCENE SCANIA 71

ON THE ROAD AGAINCANNED HEAT

Woodstock veterans Canned Heat reworked the old bluesstandard into a massive hit single in August 1968. I firstheard it as a bored schoolboy in a music appreciation lessonwhen someone stood up and asked the teacher: “Sir, sir...canwe play this one?” I couldn’t believe what I was listening to.It earned the band a Number 8 in the UK Top 20 andNumber 16 in the US Top 100.The opening twangydistorted guitar and string notes, backed by that greatharmonica break in the middle, ensure it’s one of the mostdistinctive backdrops to my generation of old-school rockers(OK, just old...)

The LB 76, was the first model to be imported into the UKby Scania back in the mid-1960s.Today, they are collectorsitems. A number have been lovingly restored and are onceagain in showroom-condition – and, as the song goes, On TheRoad Again.

BORN TO BE WILD STEPPENWOLF

Well how could you have a driving album WITHOUT this one? Thearchetypal driving anthem blazed a trail to glory after it featured on thesoundtrack of the film Easy Rider.The US group also provided theopening track (The Pusher) for same movie. It gave the band a Number 2Top 100 hit in the US in 1968 (though surprisingly only Number 18 in theUK Top 20). In 2004 Rolling Stone placed it at Number 129 in themagazine’s 500 Greatest Songs of all Time list. And for trivia lovers, on theopening of the version used on the film soundtrack you can hear the soundof Harley-Davidsons revving up before it cuts into the familiar guitar riff.But on the single and original Born To BeWild LP there are no motorbikes.

Swedish king of the customisers ‘Svempa’ (real name Sven-ErikBergendahl) really played his joker when he came up with the Red Pearl,his stunning open-top creation based on a Scania T-cab. As you can plainlysee, Born To BeWild pretty well sums it up – Svempa certainly wasn’t bornto be mild!

THE ROAD TO HELL CHRIS REAAd-hoc straw poll winner: I asked Mrs W for her favourite driving tuneand she came up with this...interesting. After enjoying a big success hitwith his earlier single Fool (If You Think It’s Over), UK soft rocker ChrisRea’s Road to Hell album (released in 1989) gave him his first NumberOne Album in the UK.The title song is split into two tracks and forserial petrol heads on the same album there’s a track entitled Daytonaabout the Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona. More recently, Mr Rea has beenthrough his own road to hell having to battle with serious illness andmajor surgery. But I’m delighted to say he’s still with us and his morerecent work has been dedicated to his love of the Blues...there’s also talkof a new studio album for this year too.

We didn’t choose Crouch Recovery’s spectacular wrecker for its hellishlooks, (far from it – we think its an unbelievably good example ofautomotive art), it was more a case that we figured if you've been on TheRoad To Hell, this is the truck you would want to come and rescue you!

conclude the line: ‘But we missed that shift on the long decline’ isactually about a broken gearbox (which Mort apparentlysuffered from) or the unnoticed descent into old age, is entirelyup to you…

Honoured by being chosen as the show closer at the VancouverWinter Olympic Games earlier this year, what better way to endthis article than with a classic by Canada’s most enduring (andenigmatic) musical export? And, depending on how you look atit, Long MayYou Run is about things ending in another way too;for the tune is supposedly a tribute toYoung’s beloved oldPontiac hearse, affectionately known as Mort. But, as with manyYoung songs, the lyrics are open to interpretation and plenty ofRusties (as the man’s fans are known) will tell you Long MayYouRun is a metaphor for life itself. So whether you choose to

72 SCENE SCANIA

AUTOBAHN KRAFTWERK

For sheer driving pleasure you simply can’t beat the fulllength (and I mean FULL) 22 minute and 42 secondversion from those pioneering German techno-popsters.Cut down to around 3 minutes and released as a single itmade it to Number 11 in the UK Top 20 in 1974 and 25 inthe US Top 40. It’s said to represent a journey fromCologne to Bonn on the A555, the first Autobahn everbuilt. For the rest of you it probably just seems to last thatlong. Still I happen to like Teutonic Techno and havingoriginally applied the musical motif to road transportKraftwerk has since covered trains (Trans-Europe Express)and even the humble bicycle (Tour de France). I can’t waitfor the Boeing 747 album...

We picked this shot of a Scania Irizar PB not just because,“Wir fahr’n fahr’n, fahr’n auf der Autobahn,” but also for itsfuturistic looks, which we felt slotted in nicely withKraftwerk’s own space-age image. By the way, just in caseyou’re wondering, that line from the song roughlytranslates to: “We are driv’ng, driv’ng, driv’ng on themotorway.” Just goes to show that despite what they say,English isn't always the best language for pop songs!

LONG MAY YOU RUN NEIL YOUNGThe new 730 horsepower Scania R-series: Long MayYou Run,and do every mile in considerable style.Watch out for the firstexamples appearing in Britain towards the end of the year.How will you spot one? Just look out for the driver with thebroadest smile!

SCENE SCANIA 73

SCANIA DRIVER EXPERIENCEDAVID CAMERON’SNo, not that David Cameron, this one’s a freelance writer for Truck & Driver magazine who

recently acquired his Category C licence with the help of Scania’s in-house driving team

Did you know you need no qualifications to set yourselfup as an LGV driver trainer? You just need to have helda licence for three years. Scary thought, isn’t it? No

wonder there are some dodgy training providers out there.But the Scania Driver Experience training school is about asfar removed from the cowboy end of the market as you canget. Its instructors have recognised training qualifications andthe vehicles are in top-notch condition.I would be learning on a rather smart P94 18-tonner,

(complete with ABS and cruise control), which is a far cryfrom some of the old clunkers you see with L-plates, andhopefully closer to the type of vehicle I will be driving in thereal world.Throughout the course (starting with the on-road

assessment) an individual’s progress is recorded in a ScaniaDriver Experience Portfolio. Each day pupils are awarded ascore for various aspects of their driving, a score that willhopefully increase as the course progresses. Some successful �

candidates actually take their driverportfolios to job interviews, where Iunderstand they are held in high regard.

Senior Driver Trainer Mike Childexplains that to pass the test you needto be scoring four out of five, and manytraining schools teach to this level.However, Scania trains to level six. Thismeans that if you get nervous in the testand drop two places, you still pass.Statistics prove that Scania’s trainingworks, too. The national average forfirst-time LGV pass rates in 2008-2009was 49 percent, whereas Scania’saverage is close to double this. In fact,Mike went for a three-month spell with a100 percent success rate – so nopressure on me, then!

Although I’ve been in the transportindustry all my working life, I’d nevergot round to taking my LGV test. At theage of 18 a mate and I both bought FordTransits and started advertising ourservices in the local newspaper. For thefirst few years we were no more than‘men with ven’ (er..? – Ed) but iteventually evolved into quite asuccessful courier company. However, itall went pear-shaped in 2001 and since

then I’ve been driving vans (and a few7.5-tonners) for various companies in theBristol area and doing a bit of writing forTruck & Driver magazine.

I recently decided to get my LGVlicence and, having heard plenty of goodthings about the Scania DriverExperience, decided to sign up for acourse. I now have one week to gain myCategory C licence.

MEDICAL AND THEORYI didn’t know what to expect from themedical and was beginning to get a bitnervous. Exactly how fit do you need tobe to drive a truck? I considered acomplete change of lifestyle in anattempt to get into shape. However, inthe end I opted for a compromise andstarted cycling to the pub on a Fridaynight instead of catching the bus. Thedoctor thought it was hilarious to call me‘Gordon Brown’ throughout the shortmedical. He definitely wouldn’t beearning £75 for ten minutes’ work as astand-up comedian. The medical itselfwas a doddle, although I’m intrigued asto why I needed to touch my toes –there are plenty of excellent truck

74 SCENE SCANIA

SCENE SCANIA 75

tonner would be like a big van. Howwrong was I?

While I found myself coping quite wellwith the width of the vehicle, whatreally threw me was the extra length. Iwasn’t expecting the slightly longerwheelbase to make so much of adifference, but it did. I looked in thenearside mirror with completeembarrassment as I mounted kerbafter kerb.And then there was the eight-speed

manual transmission to contend with. Ihad never experienced anything with ahigh-range and low-range gearboxbefore. By the end of my assessment Iwas beginning to get a headachefrom the tunes I’d been playing on thetransmission while searching forfifth gear.I’ve always considered myself to be a

brilliant driver, but after 30 minutesbehind the wheel of this I quickly

drivers out there who probably haven’teven seen their toes in decades. I’mpleased to say I passed the theory testtoo; in fact, somehow I managed toscore 99/100 in the multiple-choiceexam. The hazard-perception test(which consisted of watching 19 videoclips and clicking a button each time Ispotted a potential hazard) was moreconfusing than difficult.At first I was told by the DSA that

there would be a CPC element to mytest, but the fact that I’ve held a carlicence since before January 1997meant I was exempt. Instead, likeevery other driver, I would just have todo 35 hours of training over the nextfive years.

ASSESSMENTI have plenty of 7.5-tonner experienceand as far as I’m concerned it’s likedriving a big car. I just assumed an 18- �

“I have plenty of 7.5-tonner experience and as far as I’mconcerned it’s like driving a big car. I just assumed an18-tonner would be like a big van. How wrong was I?”

realised that I had been sadly deluded.I half expected my trainer, Mike Child,

to say I was beyond help and to presentme with a bill for a new gearbox.Instead he gave me some praise andsaid he was looking forward toteaching me. Now there’s a man wholikes a challenge.

DAY 1On Day 1 the four-hour lesson startedwith a walk-round tutorial and a 45-minute demonstration from Mike, and hemade it look incredibly easy. Then itwas my turn… and I made it lookincredibly hard.My drive from Avonmouth to Weston-

super-Mare took on a variety of roadtypes, with a good mix of urban, ruraland motorway. Mike said it was a goodway to familiarise myself with the truck.It was also a great chance to make acomplete fool of myself!The biggest problem for me was

roundabouts, or rather the approach tothem. The trouble was trying to pre-empt what car drivers were going to dowhile at the same time wrestling withthe gearbox.It had never occurred to me before

just how bad car drivers are atsignalling; and why do they pull out infront of you? It’s an 18-tonne lorry forPete’s sake, why can’t they see it?!Despite the cacophony of sounds the

Scania’s gearbox emitted whenever Itried to locate fifth gear, Mike said hewas confident that I would soon get thehang of it. Despite his knack of puttingpeople at ease, I felt really disheartenedby the end of the day. He may be anexcellent driver trainer, but he’sdefinitely got his work cut out with me.

DAY 2Day 2 was all about urban driving, whichunfortunately meant plenty ofroundabouts and gearchanges. I wasdetermined to concentrate today and tomake as few mistakes as possible. Butten minutes into the journey and I wasalready selecting the wrong gears.Thanks to the Scania’s forgiving, torqueyengine I was able to get away with theoccasional eighth instead of sixth gear,but trying to select reverse at 20-milesper hour is not recommended!Mike asked me to pull over and

advised me to slow down thegearchanges and to palm the gearleverinto position rather than force it.Imagine, he said, holding a 50p coin

76 SCENE SCANIA

Scania Driver ExperienceThe Scania Driver Experience promotes

the highest levels of skill and road safety

through a range of high quality training

programmes. Delivered at one of

Scania’s four UK centres — Purfleet,

Avonmouth, Worksop, Edinburgh — or at

operator’s own premises, Scania Driver

Experience courses are available to you,

your drivers and your trainers and

include:

� LGV and PCV driving licence

acquisition

� Driver CPC training

� Fuel efficient driving

� Product knowledge/familiarisation

� Train the trainer

� Professional Competence related

courses

� Safe driving and safety courses

� Working Time Directive

� Digital tachograph

� Mechanical handling (fork lift truck)

licences

For further details on licence acquisition

and the Scania Driver Experience, call

0844 800 9131 or visit

www.scania.co.uk/learntodrive

“Thanks to the Scania’sforgiving, torquey engine Iwas able to get away withthe occasional eighth insteadof sixth gear, but trying toselect reverse at 20-miles perhour is not recommended!”

between palm and gear knob. Incredibly,it worked; suddenly I was changing gearlike a pro.Next it was time to have a go at the

reversing exercise, which you’ll probablybe amazed to hear I was actuallygood at. I’ve been reversing vans foryears and, of course, it’s the samebasic principle. I even managed toundertake the braking exercise withoutany dramas.

DAY 3Things started off brilliantly today and Ifinally felt it was all coming together,but about an hour into the session Istarted to lose concentration and madesome stupid mistakes. And one littlemistake quickly snowballs into severalbigger ones.

A good example of this was knockingmy truck out of gear and coasting up toa red traffic light. Realising my mistake, Ipanicked and forgot to select low range.So when the lights changed to green Iset off in fifth. Now in a complete fluster,I selected first instead of second andwas only half-way across the junctionwhen the lights changed to red.Other stupid mistakes during the

course of the day included mounting acouple of kerbs, blocking off a junction,driving pitifully slow on a dual-carriageway and pulling out in front of acar on a roundabout. They are all failureitems and I’m so angry with myself. Ican’t believe that there’s only one moreday before the test.

DAY 4Today we drove around Gloucester, thevenue for tomorrow’s test. I evenmanaged a brief look at where thereversing and braking exercises will takeplace. Apparently this is a good testcentre, with friendly instructors whomake you feel at ease, and the 56percent pass rate is above the nationalaverage too.Everything started to come together

today. The gearbox became secondnature and I found myself spottingpotential dangers, planning ahead andreacting early. I found it helped to talkthrough scenarios in my head. ‘Okay, sothe bins are on the pavement, thatmeans a bin wagon may be just aroundthe next corner. The woman on the busahead has just stood up, that means it’sabout to stop.’ That sort of thing.

I’m definitely more confident than Ihave been all week, but I probably stillwon’t get a wink of sleep all night.

DAY 5Test one was a complete and utterdisaster. About five minutes into the test Iwas caught out by a traffic light, whichchanged on my approach. Shall I attemptto stop? Shall I go through the amber? Ican’t decide. I’ll go for it. No I won’t.Aaagh! I stopped but my front wheel wasover the white line. I can see the examinerwrite something on his clipboard beforeputting it down on his lap. I know I’vefailed but I’ve still got to drive for anotherhour. The most annoying thing of all isthat I’m pretty sure I didn’t make anothersingle mistake.“I’m sorry to tell you, Mr Cameron, but

you’ve failed.” No surprises there then.“But please don’t let this put you offtrying again.”

It didn’t. A week later I was back andthis time I passed! What more can I sayexcept thank you, Mike, and thank youScania? Oh, almost forgot, and hopefullysee you soon – because I now find myselfbeginning to think about going for myC+E licence too...

SCENE SCANIA 77

�

78 SCENE SCANIA

SCENE SCANIA 79

BREAKING THE MOULDFew companies make products for vehicles which move the earth as well asthose which are – literally – out of this earth. But MICHELIN, sponsor ofScania’sYoung European Truck Driver event, does

Outside of royalty, politics, celebrities and sport,there are few faces which would be instantlyrecognisable to the majority of the UK

population. So it is perhaps a rather impressive featthat 83 percent of those surveyed duringindependent research could name the MichelinMan from a photograph.That’s not bad goingfor a character who celebrates his 112thbirthday this year!

Voted advertising icon of the century by theFinancial Times a decade ago, the Michelin Man wascreated in 1898 when André Michelin (a trainedartist) remarked that a stack of tyres would resemble aman if it had arms. Little did he realise what a hugeimpact the Michelin Man (or ‘Bibendum’, as he iswidely known outside the UK) would have around theworld during the 20th and 21st centuries.

The sheer scale of the Michelin Group today is a far cryfrom the birth of the company, when Édouard Michelin andhis brother André, ran a rubber factory in Clermont-Ferrand,France. One day in 1891, a cyclist whose pneumatic tyre

needed repairing turned up at the factory.The tyre wasglued to the rim, and it took over three hours to removeit and effect a repair, which then needed to be leftovernight to dry.The next day, Édouard took thebicycle into the factory yard to test. After just a few

hundred metres, the tyre failed. Despite the setback,Édouard was enthusiastic about the pneumatic tyre, andhe and his brother worked on creating a version which didnot need to be glued to the rim.

From those modest beginnings, Michelin has grown intoone of the giants of the tyre industry and plays a leading role

around the world, with a sales network covering more than170 countries and producing 150 million tyres a year.

They're tyres Jim, but not as we know them: Michelin provides the rubber for the largest earthmovers and the space shuttle

�

Michelin tyres are fitted as originalequipment to motorcycles, cars, vans,trucks and trailers – including vehiclesthroughout the Scania range.They arealso a popular fitment for off-road usetoo, by manufacturers of agriculturalmachines, plant machinery and forklifts.Even aircraft such as the impressive newAirbus A380 rely on special new tyresdeveloped by Michelin. Plus Michelin hasenjoyed the honour of being the sole tyresupplier for the Space Shuttle programmesince the first launch in 1981.

Martin Covington, Head of Truck &Earthmover Marketing at Michelin,points out that the company spends moremoney on research and development thanany other tyre manufacturer in the world– a staggering €500 million last year.

“As a direct result we have designedspecific tyres to suit almost every vehicleand application, with an unrivalledreputation for safety, durability andlongevity,” he says. “In the transportsector our tyre range includes productsbuilt for everything from long distancetrunking to regional haulage and urbandistribution to on/off-road tipper work.We also manufacture tyres to cope withchallenging weather conditions such asheavy rain, ice and snow – plus tyrespurpose built for military operations, with

rubber compounds which canstand up to themost arduous off-road requirements.”

Away from theworld of tyres,

Michelin is alsorenowned for producingmaps and guides – withglobal sales of ten millionunits each year.The mostfamous of all its

publications is the Michelin Red Guide,the international reference for hotel andrestaurant information, which has been akey indicator of quality for over 100 years.Michelin also publishes Green Guides fortravel and tourism, plus maps, atlases andmuch more.

The Michelin Guide was a traditionstarted in 1900 by André Michelin, whofirst produced the guides to help driverslocate garages and fuel suppliers duringtheir journeys across France. It includedgood places to find food and lodging forovernight stays, and had a focus on thequality and affordability of the meals.

Initially the guide just focused on themenu choice, how well it tasted and the

price, with the now-famous Michelin starsintroduced in 1926. At first there wasonly one star to show a particularly goodestablishment, although the two and threestar ratings were brought in todifferentiate between exceptional and themerely excellent or good.

80 SCENE SCANIA

Michelin’s Martin Covington (white shirt)

presents the Michelin Trophy to UK Young Truck

Driver 2010 Colin McKeag at this year’s UK

Final of Young European Truck Driver

From its famous Red Guides to tyres for all

manner of vehicles, the Michelin name is known

the world over

Win with Michelinand Scene Scania

After a ten year absence, Michelin

re-launched the famous I-Spy series

of pocket-sized books in 2009. The

modern I-Spy books retain their

timeless charm by tapping into

the inquisitive and curious nature

of children.

In a world dominated by computers

and games consoles, they give

youngsters a refreshing opportunity to

take a closer look at what's going on

in their everyday lives. And they

remain a great way to keep younger

family members both amused and

learning, whether you’re on a long car

journey, off on holiday or just out for a

day in the countryside.

One book in the series which is

proving to be a top-seller is ‘I-Spy

Working Vehicles’, which is jam

packed full of trucks for the eagle-

eyed lorry spotter. It challenges

readers to collect points for each truck

they successfully find, with five points

if you see a Scania R- or P-series and a

massive 15 points for a rare bonneted

T-series.

To be in with a chance of winning a

free copy, send your name and postal

address by email to:

[email protected].

The first 50 entries received will be

sent a copy courtesy of Michelin.

Alternatively, I-Spy Working Vehicles

is one of a series of 24 titles which are

available to buy for £2.50 each from

www.ispymichelin.com

As driving became more common, theguides extended outside of France toother countries and major cities,including London.Today the MichelinGuides cover 16 cities from Tokyo toSan Francisco. But what makes theseMichelin books stand out from otherrestaurant and hotel guides?

Michelin employs full-timeprofessional inspectors whoanonymously visit restaurants andhotels, and evaluate them on a range ofcriteria. Its evaluation process has beenhoned over time to identify consistentlyhigh-quality establishments to suit arange of budgets and across a range ofstyles and cuisines. And if the

inspectors are impressed by arestaurant or hotel, they visit theestablishment again. And again. It isthis sort of obsessive research thatmakes the Michelin Guide such areliable source of recommendations.

The star system continues today too,with each star representing a greatachievement in cooking. As its rootsstill lie in driving to find good food, thecategories are defined thus: One star: ‘agood restaurant or pub in its category –a good place to stop’;Two stars:‘excellent cooking – worth a detour’;with the very rare three stars givenfor: ‘exceptional cuisine – worth aspecial journey’.

SCENE SCANIA 81

�

AWINNINGHAND

With three aces on the table, it was a full house at London’s

legendary ACE CAFÉ the day Truck & Driver Editor WILL SHIERS

and our photographer caught up with the trio of previous winners

of Scania’s Young UK Truck Driver competition. They were there

to discuss how our victors’ careers have progressed since

triumphing in the country’s most prestigious commercial vehicle

driving contest

When Darren Jukes (32) travelled to Sweden torepresent the UK in Scania’s first ever YoungEuropean Truck Driver (YETD) final back in 2003,

he was working for Asda. Shortly after his return he had abrief stint at Reading-based QTR Transport before moving onto Wessex Recovery. “It was great work, and you could reallyget your teeth into some of the jobs,” says Darren, whofrequently pulled fully-freighted 44-tonners with his stretchedScania 124 420 recovery truck.

But the offer of sociable hours and a considerable salaryincrease have since been enough to lure Darren out of hisScania, and away from the industry altogether.Today heworks for a friend’s concrete cutting and diamond drillingcompany and you may well spot him next time you’re sittingin stationary traffic in the M25 widening roadworks. “Thewages are better than driving a truck, and the hours are

shorter and more sociable,” says Darren. “Although I misssome aspects of truck driving I definitely don’t miss trying tofind somewhere safe to park every night, or getting my trailerbroken into for 20 boxes of cornflakes.”

Lee Graves (33), who was the UK winner in 2005, took hisLGV test when he was 21-years-old. While he loves being atruck driver, Lee says he would definitely consider doingsomething slightly different in the future. One option wouldbe to put his incredible driving knowledge to good use andbranch out into driver training. “I do find myself passinginformation onto others,” says Lee, who recently took both hisnational and international CPC, “so it would be an obviouscareer progression.” But one thing is for certain, whatever jobhe does decide on, it will be within the transport industry.

William Herron (32) was the 2007 Young UK Truck Driverchampion, and subsequently showed himself to be the

82 SCENE SCANIA

�

Russ

London

Three of the best: Previous Young UK Truck Driver competition, l-r, Lee Graves, William Herron and Darren Jukes

SCENE SCANIA 83

seventh best young driver in Europe. He has been drivingsince the age of 21, and runs Co. Down, Northern Ireland-based operator W. J. Herron alongside father William senior,who founded the company.

After winning the title William became extremely busy,attending numerous events in an ambassadorial role. Alongwith his wife he has also enjoyed a fantastic weekend break inStockholm, courtesy of Scania.

William loves his prize-winning 4-series Scania and, whilehe has plenty of complaints with the industry, wouldn’tconsider doing anything else. He automatically qualified fora place at this year's UK Final of Young European TruckDriver, where he finished third.

YOUNG EUROPEAN TRUCK DRIVERThe Young UK Truck Driver event forms part of Scania’sYoung European Truck Driver competition (YETD, see page47). All three men speak highly of YETD, and believe it to bea perfect vehicle for promoting the profession and attractingfresh blood into the industry.

“We need to make the industry more attractive to young

drivers, and YETD does just that,” explains William.Lee thinks the competition has been more successful at

promoting the profession to youngsters than thegovernment’s recent decision to allow 18-year olds to hold anLGV licence:

“The government thinks lowering the age is good for theindustry, but no thought has gone into it. I’m not surethat they are old enough to understand the implications ofdriving a 44-tonner at that age, and who would employthem anyway?”

While Darren, Lee and William have all proved that theyare brilliant drivers in a competition environment, hasYETD actually made them better drivers on the road?

“It has definitely made me more aware”, says Darren. “Ithas also made me read the road and plan ahead better,which is vital when you are pulling 64-tonnes with 420hp.”

“I definitely put the skills learned to good use in my dailyworking life”, says William, who says he competes againsthimself to get the highest possible MPG reading on thetruck’s on-board computer.

Lee is also incredibly conscious of fuel economy these days,

Darren, Lee and William have all proved that they are brilliant drivers in a competition environment

84 SCENE SCANIA

and always makes sure that the gap between the tractor andtrailer is closed, and the wind deflector is set to their correctlevel. He once persuaded a former employer to publish thedrivers’ fuel economy figures and, as you might expect, hewas consistently on the top of the leader board.

WINNING A TRUCKWhile the winner of the 2003 YETD competition was treatedto an all-expenses paid trip to Brazil, the top prize for the2005, 2007 and now the 2010 competitions has been abrand new Scania R-series. So what would our championshave done if they had walked away with £100,000 worth ofnew truck?

“The first thing I would have done is given it a custompaintjob and added a few more lights,” says William, whosestunning 2002 Scania R164 took pride of place on Scania’sTruckfest stand last year.

Lee doesn’t give the question a second thought. “I woulddefinitely have become an owner driver,” he says, “as I’msure there’s no better feeling than working for yourself.There’s no way I’d have put it on eBay!”

Darren would also have gone down the owner driver route,but might have looked into stretching it and fitting it with arecovery body.

ADVICESo what advice do the guys have for this year’s UKwinner, who heads off to Sweden for the European final inearly October?

“Just focus, do the best as you can, and most importantly,try to enjoy it,” says Lee. “It’s the most fantastic experienceand you’ll always remember it.”

These sentiments are echoed by William, who describes itas “a once in a lifetime experience”. He adds: “Just take fulladvantage of it and enjoy every minute.”

Darren is far more to the point. “Just make sure you bringthe truck back!” he says.

LONGER HEAVIER VEHICLESIt’s not often you get three of Europe’s best truck drivers inthe same room, so we took the opportunity to find outtheir views on a couple of the big issues currently affectingthe industry.

Firstly, what do they think about Longer HeavierVehicles (LHVs)?

This is a subject that Darren knows a lot about, after allhe’s got more experience of driving them than most. For theyears he worked for Wessex Recovery he was legally driving25-metre, 60-tonne+ rigs throughout the UK. He thinksLHVs would bring huge benefits to the industry andwelcomes the day that they are used for trunking on themotorway network. In his opinion an additional test would bebeneficial, perhaps a C+E+E qualification.

Lee, who had a stint behind the wheel of the over-lengthoutfit belonging to Lincolnshire operator Denby TransportLimited (courtesy of Truck & Driver), is also enthusiasticabout the concept. However, he stresses that if the UK wereto go down the same route as some other Europeancountries, there needs to be a couple of stipulations. Firstly, �

Built in 1939 to cater for users (particularly truckdrivers) of the then new North Circular Road, the Ace

Café’s proximity to the area’s premier stretch of blacktopsoon led it to becoming a magnet for bikers. Onceestablished as a café, the Ace’s owners added to itsattraction by opening a fully-equipped service stationnext door.

During World War II, the premises were badly damagedduring a bombing raid on the nearby railway yards. Afteroperating out of temporary accommodation, the Acesubsequently reopened in its current day building in 1949.

The ’50s marked the Golden Age for the Ace Café, withthe British bike industry in its heyday and the arrival ofthe café-racing ton-up boys on the scene, glamourisingthe art of motorcycle riding for some, while simultaneouslydemonising it for others. And then there was rock androll, with the Ace Café credited as the launch pad forcountless bands.

However, by the late ’60s it was all over. The bikes hadgone, now replaced by cars, and the M1 beckoned those insearch of speed. Consequently, in 1969, the Ace dished upits final egg and chips.

But those who thought the Ace had been stacked forgood hadn’t banked on Mark Wilsmore, a local man with adream to re-create the glory days of the café in a modernperspective. It took him years, but in September 2001,Mark’s dream finally came true as the North Circular’s mostfamous eatery reopened its doors once again.

The resurrection proved immensely popular – just checkout the Ace’s website to see the lengthy list of automotiveevents and occasions it hosts today. They might now be onHondas, Yamahas and Suzukis rather than Tritons,Velocettes and Vincents, but there’s no doubting that forthe Ace Café, the boys are back in town.

Ace high — the life and times of northLondon’s most famous café

SCENE SCANIA 85

additional training should be required, and secondly, LHVswould have to be confined to particular routes.

“Although they wouldn’t be suitable for my farmcollections, I can’t see a problem with the principle of LHVs”,says William, who had a drive in a 60-tonner at Scania’sDemoCentre in Sweden. He thinks LHVs have the potentialto save the industry a fortune without putting any morestrain on the UK’s roads.

DRIVER CPCThe young drivers have conflicting views on this one.WhileDarren describes it as “just another tax on the industry”, Leethinks it has massive benefits for drivers who work for smallfirms and who probably wouldn’t get any sort of trainingprovision otherwise. He has already completed his first fivemodules, so he won’t be panicking in September 2014.

William has just done his first module, which he attendedwith his father. “My dad was absolutely dreading it,” heexplains. “But in the end he enjoyed it and got a lot out of it.”

CHILDRENAs well as being among the UK’s best truck drivers, theseguys have all got something else in common – they all haveyoung children.This question is, would they be happy iftheir kids followed in their footsteps with a career in truckdriving?

Darren’s son Joseph either wants to be a quad biker or atruck driver, and Darren’s hoping it’s not the latter. “Longhours and low pay – I definitely won’t be encouraging him,”he says.

Lee’s daughter Abbie is a big truck fan, but her dad hopesit’s a phase she’ll grow out of. “Knowing what I know I’ll tryto discourage her, just like my father tried to discourageme!”

Even William, who would be proud to see his daughterHolly one day take over the family business, has mixedfeelings. “Even if I don’t put her off I’m sure my wife will,after all she was a truck driver for 13 years so knows exactlywhat it’s like.”

86 SCENE SCANIA

�

PASSION, PRESTIGEAND EXCELLENCE

“Few people have done more over the past decade to broadenthe appeal of our sport”

Colin Hilton, Chief Executive of the Motor Sports Association, governing body of UK motor sport

Lord March is an extraordinary man. He took overthe running of the family business, a 11,500-acre countrypile, deep in the West Sussex countryside, in the early

1990’s.The Goodwood Estate was then best known for hostingGlorious Goodwood, which alongside Royal Ascot was one of thehighlights of the horse racing calendar.Yet with a turnover of some£8 million, its main income was still derived from property,forestry and farming.

How things have changed under his management, leadershipand direction.Today, Goodwood is one of the most prestigiousnames in the sporting and leisure sectors. As well as its 200 year-old racecourse, the estate boasts a 3,000 acre organic farm, twogolf courses, a 94-room hotel, a fleet of vintage aeroplanes and acricket pitch and a Flying School, complete with a fleet of fivebrand new state-of-the-art Cessna Skyhawk aircraft and a vintagewarbird, the Harvard.Turnover has risen to some £50 million –but around half of that now comes from motor sport.

So how did he do it?Motor racing first came to Goodwood in 1936 when Lord

March’s grandfather held a private race around the park.Originally a Battle of Britain airfield, the Goodwood motor racing

SCENE SCANIA 87

�

circuit opened in 1948, but closed again in 1966 as it bowed tothe pressures and costs and demands of modern motor racing.

Lord March was 11 at the time and deeply unhappy at thenews. Since a young age he had been fascinated by motor racingand missed it sorely. But bringing about its return to Goodwoodwould have to wait until he took over the running of the estatefrom his father.

At the time, however, things were, in his own words, ‘not good’.Estates can be ruinously expensive to run and maintain, andLord March was above all intent to keep the estate intact,operational and profitable. In particular, he was determined itshould remain a family home. Estates such as Goodwood can beovertaken by the need to produce revenues, which almostinevitably compromises the quality of life for those who live andwork there. Lord March was resolute that shouldn’t happen.

In 1993, he had the idea of running cars on the private roadsaround the estate.The threat of noise pollution meant that localresistance to reopening the motor racing circuit remained strong,but an event in the grounds of Goodwood House was deemedacceptable. It was an instant success – the first Festival ofSpeed attracted 20,000 people, way beyond all expectations,

88 SCENE SCANIA

SCENE SCANIA 89

and signalled a depth of fascination and interestjust waiting to be tapped.Today the Festival ofSpeed attracts over 175,000 visitors each year.

In September 1998, Lord March launchedthe Goodwood Revival, this time on theoriginal Goodwood motor racing circuit, withany residual local resistance overcome.Theopening was a poignant moment indeed – 50years to the day after the circuit first opened.

The event, which continues to run annually,is restricted to cars that would have raced therein the circuit’s heyday.The 155,000 attendees –competitors and spectators alike – are expectedto dress appropriately in period costume and sobecome a very full part of the event itself.

The success of the Festival of Speed and theGoodwood Revival help fulfil an insatiableappetite for nostalgia, all things motor sport,power and performance.Together with theunique appeal that Glorious Goodwood holdswithin the horse racing world, these twoflagship motoring events have combined tohelp build a brand that captures theimagination of millions around the world.

Underpinning that success is a love of cars, afervour for motor sport and an enthusiasm forhorse racing – intertwined with the ever-present need to produce an income for theestate. Every year, 80 percent of Goodwood’sincome comes from just ten days of sportingevents. Profits are ploughed back into the estateto keep it going.

There’s also a belief in making the excitementopen to all. One of the unique attractions is theopenness of events like the Festival of Speedand the Goodwood Revival and the lack ofbarriers between those attending and thosetaking part. Unlike the majority of motor sportsevents – most notably today’s Formula One -the public are free to get up close, not justwatch from a distance.They are allowed to feelpart of the proceedings, and in doing so,characterise the events themselves.

And the tradition continues into 2010.The theme of this year’s Festival of Speed (2-

4 July 2010) was ‘Viva Veloce! - The Passion forSpeed’.This celebrated Italy’s all-consumingfascination with motor racing and its globalinfluence on the sport. From Ascari to Agostini,and Monza to the Mille Miglia, Italians have �

One of the unique attractions is

the openness of events like the

Festival of Speed and the

Goodwood Revival and the lack

of barriers between those

attending and those taking part.

raced with passion and pride. Italian DNAruns through many of the sport’s mostmemorable performances and the 2010Festival of Speed will honour the cars,motorcycles, drivers and riders that bestembodied that spirit.

Goodwood also celebrated 60 years ofthe Formula One World Championship,with a gathering of cars and drivers thathave shaped the history of motor sport’smost glamorous series.There was also anarray of cars and motorcycles from a hugevariety of disciplines, enhancing theFestival’s reputation for showcasing not

only the world’s most famous stars, butalso its lesser known gems.

Festival-goers were also able to relishsome of the most stylish vehicles everdesigned at the ‘Style et Luxe’ concoursd’elegance, glimpse into the future ofpersonal transportation, see many ofmotor sport’s famous faces up close, andeven be a part of the action at the off-roadactivity fields and Junior Festival of Speed.And there was also a new, dedicated‘Aviation Show’ held at GoodwoodAerodrome, showcasing both fixed androtary wing aircraft and the latest

innovative aircraft designsThis year’s Goodwood Revival was a

very special weekend too, with sparklingon-track action and a number ofsignificant anniversaries to celebrate. Asever, the Revival offered visitors a chanceto revel in the romance and glamour ofmotor racing as it used to be, with on-track activities including ‘celebrity’ two-driver races, sports car races,single-seater racing and circuit parades.There was also the ‘Barry SheeneMemorial Trophy’, two races for 350ccto 500cc motorcycles that raced between

90 SCENE SCANIA

The success of the Festival of

Speed and the Goodwood Revival

help fulfil an insatiable appetite for

nostalgia, all things motor sport,

power and performance

1951 and 1954, with a two-part, two-riderchallenge and a crowd-pleasing Le Mans-style running start.

More than anything, the success of theGoodwood brand reflects the character ofthe man himself – Lord March is apassionate believer in what might best betermed ‘inclusive exclusivity’.Whether it isthe two motor racing events, Goodwood’sgolf courses or even its hotel, the branddelivers what he describes as ‘an inclusiveexperience in an exclusive environment’.

Yet ultimately there are three words thatencapsulate the values of Goodwood, the

brand and Goodwood, the events perhapsmore than any others – principles, ideals,approaches that are shared and paralleledin the commercial world by Scania ...

Passion: an intense enthusiasm – inGoodwood’s case, a passion for cars, forpower and performance. A passion fordoing things better; a brand likeGoodwood depends on expanding,improving and adding to the experience allthe time. And a passion for sharing thatenthusiasm – over 800,000 people nowvisit Goodwood ever year.

Prestige: the respect associated withhigh quality, and something that isparticularly appropriate for the Goodwoodbrand.The estate, the events, theirorganisation – the quality of each reflectsan almost effortless calm that deliversexactly what it promises, and more.

And finally: Excellence. Excellence isdefined as an adherence to standards, atrust in values and an inbred belief indoing things properly. And doing thingsproperly is at the very heart of everythingGoodwood – and Charles, Earl of Marchand Kinrara - does ...

SCENE SCANIA 91

�

www.scania.co.uk